Clans of The Dragons
by Last Haven
Summary: Sequel to Paper Rose Cuts: Raven searchs for answers to her problems. She finds answers from a surprising source while others move on in their own plans. What will she do when faced with the return of Malchior? NEW: An explanation for long time watchers..
1. To Bargain

_"Stop looking at me with those hateful eyes,_

_I've given you what you wanted._

_Don't lie to me-you didn't want love_

_you wanted-justification."_

The song blared a radio somewhere near Raven's bookcase; she didn't know who's idea it was to put it on the heavy rock station and blare it so Robin in the common room could probably hear it, but the sound even at it's amplified level couldn't break her tentative concentration as she searched through her books.

Raven had been taught from a young age that her emotions manipulated her powers, and whatever had control of her powers could very easily lead about to the coming of her father. She had been taught how to mediate and had since used to retain her calm and composure.

Too bad she wasn't using her teachings _now_.

Raven was furious, livid, enraged, and plain old _pissed off_. Various around her room shook from her barely contained power, while others flew about the room. Her bedspread was tossed on the floor, her good pair of scissors sliced threw the air, and her candles seemed to doing a twisted version of the cha-cha. Book slapped around the room and her windows hummed as they shook.

Raven sat in the middle of her floor, tossing aside book after book as they proved useless to her. Starfire hovered nearby, partially battered about by the powerful "wind" flying around the room, and anchored by Cyborg who had a firm grip of her leg with one hand and a book in the other. "Hey, Rae, what are we trying to find again!" he shouted over the din of her room.

"Yes, this search has proved most unfruitful-tell us what we should be searching for, Friend Raven!" shouted Starfire.

Raven paused for a minute and all outward signs of her raging power stopped, everything that had been flying in the air dropped, including Starfire who's balance was upset by the sudden change. "We're looking for a subduing spell."

"A what?"

"A spell that will make whoever's being bewitched do as the spell caster says." she explained before turning back to her books. Cyborg and Starfire shared a look but went back to searching through the books. Shortly things began to levitate and shake again as Raven fought her rage. In a fit, she tossed her book over her shoulder and barely batted an eye as the priceless book slammed into the bookcase.

Ever since Malchior's little stunt at the dance club, Raven had become a mad woman obsessed with finding an answer in her books as to her own sudden change of feelings-one minute she was ready to blast him into oblivion the next...whatever happened, it left Raven shaken. Whatever it was had had a powerful effect on herself and her wild emotions and she _really _didn't need to have him duplicate the situation again oh, say, in the middle of a fight. The only thing that might explain her near bi-polar reaction was a subduing spell.

Now if only she could find the stupid spell...

---------------

"You're kidding, right?"

From behind her fan, the petite young woman in front of him laughed at his expense and shook her head in amusement at him. It burned him a little; Red X did _not _like to be the butt of someone's joke. "Good sir, I assure you I happen to be quite serious. Just get me the item and I'll give you your money."

From behind his mask, Red X lifted a brow and slapped the folder onto the silver metal table between them, using two of his fingers to slide the folder over to her. Several color photos began to slip out of the folder. Delicately snapping her fan shut, the girl inched the photos back into place with the edge of the fan. "What you're asking me to do is highly unusual and dangerous. It won't be a cheap job."

"I'm well aware that the item I want presents a ...certain challenge to you, and very certainly a dangerous one." she agreed, snapping her fan back open and hiding her lower face again before standing and reaching out for the folder. "I wouldn't want to have you hurt-or damage your reputation in any way..." Red X caught the hidden meaning in the statement and growled, knowing that he was rising to her bait.

"And what's that mean?" he snapped. "Don't try to trick me into this job!"

"Trick? My good sir, you do me offense. I meant not that you are unable to do the job-"

"You think I'm just to cowardly to do it!"

Her eyes scrunched up as if she was silently laughing at him, and he didn't doubt for a second that she was grinning cheekily behind her fan. "No, no, I was merely trying to say before you interrupted me that I'm willing to compensate you on any damage to you caused by my job."

_That _caused Red X to stop himself from shifting uneasily in his chair. "Compensate?"

"I'm willing to pay triple the amount of my original offer if you get me the item." she told swiftly, causing his eyes to widen behind the mask. "And should anything happen to your person while on the job...well, the original offer will be paid as compensation."

"You're telling me...that if I get you this you're going to pay me three million dollars?" he asked, waiting on bated breath for her confirmation. She chuckled at him fanning herself a bit.

"No, good sir, I'm offering you three billion dollars to get the job done right."

Red X stared up in shock, quietly weighing the pros and the cons of this job as he wondered if it was really worth it. "Just why do you want the Herald's trumpet anyway?"

She laughed gayly at him, before giving him a pointed, precise look. "That, my good thief, is my own business."

He sat there a moment before rising and lifting his hand out to her. "Consider me your hired help for the time being."

She laughed again and shook his hand before commenting. "Oh, my good sir, you're more than just some paltry servant of mine-just get the job done and you'll get your payment."

---------------

Raven sighed as she placed the last of her books on her shelf; after an entire afternoon of no luck for finding the specific spell that she was looking for she had given up and had stared in shook revelation at the state of her thrashed room and groaned. Cyborg and Starfire had helped her set the room right before quietly leaving. Starfire had returned carrying a large plate of what appeared to be one of Robin's steaks(Raven chuckled as she realized Beast Boy must have been in fits about it) and offered it to her.

"Friend Raven, you have been in here all day and since we were uncertain if you would be joining us for dinner, I offer you this delicious slab of cow meat!" proclaimed Starfire with a grin. She looked at her friend and quietly touched down on the dark floor. "Raven, you look wane, please, eat and be better for it's good nutrients."

Raven gave her a small smile before taking the plate along with the cutlery and a cup of tea that Starfire had brought as well. "You've been reading the nutrients guide on the package again, weren't you Star?" she chuckled as she placed the plate on her desk.

Starfire brightened happily at the question. "Oh, yes! It was most informative!" she cheered, "It reminds me of the time we watched the television program about the making of hot dogs!"

"Starfire, hot dogs are made from pigs. Steak is from a cow." Raven gently told her as she gestured two chairs forward and sat down to eat her meal. Starfire shrugged and smiled.

"The process of ground beef is still similar, isn't it?" she asked with a puzzled expression. Raven laughed a little before trying to talk.

"Actually, it's-"

_"HEY, people, it's your favorite DJ, DJ Sawyer! It's a balmy 74 degrees out to day with 80 percent humidity! Now, here's the new release from that italian enchantress-Dragonkin! It's called Il Lair del Drago!"_

Raven jumped at the word Dragon as a pair of icy blue eyes slipped through her mind while a song drifted out of the radio's speakers. She shook her head at her own over-sensitivity at the subject as the song suddenly jumped in volume. She had half a mind to switch the thing off; she had entirely forgotten it was on, but stopped when she saw Starfire humming and tapping her foot to the beat.

Raven had to raise an eyebrow; since when did Starfire like heavy rock? But apparently she was quite enjoying it as she was now bouncing to the beat. Raven coughed to catch her attention. "Having fun there, Starfire?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! This music is quite delightful!" she exclaimed over the din the radio was now producing as the song it a crescendo.

"When did you start like heavy rock, Star?" she asked, perplexed with the orange skinned alien who merely shrugged.

"Oh, I am just "liking" the song as you say." she said. Raven shook her head and listened to the notes as they passed through the air. Actually she found herself "liking" the song before she had a jarring revelation.

"Star, that song!" she gasped as she stood up. Starfire blinked in surprise.

"What is it, Friend Raven, is something the matter with the music selection?"

"Starfire that song is full of magic!" she exclaimed. "I never felt so much pouring out of a song-and it's hidden to subtly to just realize it so easily!" she gasped. Starfire stood up, starbolts at the ready to blast the radio if need be.

"Should I get rid of the radio, Friend Raven?"

"No! It's just-!" she shook her head. "I just never seen so much power in the song...the singer must be have some powerful magic in her veins to produce in her song! What did the radio call her?"

"I believe it was something to do with a dragon and it's family." Starfire answered, lowering her hand and letting the power slip back inside her as a perplexed expression crossed her face.

"Dragon ...family?" echoed Raven. "No, no...it was...Dragon...Dragon...Dragonkin!" she said as she remember the name before her face darkened. "I want to know who that girl is...such power could make for a welcomed ally or a challenging foe." she thought aloud. Raven blinked and turned to Starfire. "Think Robin and his computer would help?"

"Oh, yes, definitely!" she agreed with a nod.


	2. To Consult an Oracle

Robin sat back with a perplexed expression on his face before speaking. "So, you think this singer maybe a magic user? How can you tell with just listening to the song just once?" he asked. Cyborg had turned about from his perch on the couch, one arm tossed over the back of it, and staring at the three of them with his racing car game on pause. Beast Boy was slumped over the back of the couch, sitting next to him with his arms dangling. Robin had been standing and doing the dishes when Raven and Starfire had come in and was now perched on a stool.

Raven nodded, standing in front of him with Starfire at her side. "There was an enormous amount of power oozing out of that song. Trust me-it isn't that un-normal for people with power and a good singing voice to become popular on radio stations. Bards in medieval times were sometimes sorcerers. People still use magic to gain popularity even if they don't mean to release magic in their songs."

"Oh, really?" asked Beast Boy, perking up. "Even people like Funky Monkey 5?" he asked, citing his favorite band.

"Actually, they do happen to be magic users; I heard about them from some contacts of mine." she remarked, raising a brow as he gaped at her. "Anyway, I think we should check up on this Dragonkin to see what it could mean." she said turning back to Robin.

"Why? I mean it's not like she's doing anything wrong, right?" asked Cyborg, tossing his game controller to the side. "You said she may not even be realizing she's using her magic."

"Just to be sure." she told him. "I don't want anything to happen later because I didn't mention it." she finished bitterly. There was a brittle pause where the rest of the titans stared at their friend sympathetically but still the felt as if a great chasm opened as it always did when her mind wandered back to a certain dragon who had smashed her heart with a deadly precision. Starfire reached out her hand and placed it on her friend's should to try and span the gulf with which she only received a wan smile. "So any way, can you check it out for me, guys?"

Cyborg and Robin both nodded. "I'll get to checking any data banks I can find on this Dragonkin." Cyborg reassured her, getting up and starting to stretch before leaving the common room to start for his room. Robin nodded and got off the stool.

"I think I have a friend who can help us find this singer out, Raven. I'll give them a call."

It would be hours later when Cyborg would return to them with nothing to show for his hard searching.

"I'm sorry, Raven, but I've looked everywhere I could think of and I can't find anything about her-I've even tried asking music forums on the internet but I can't find anything." offered Cyborg with a grumble. "It's strange; lots of people mention her but no one can even get me a good guess at what her real name is." he huffed. Raven nodded, as if almost expecting it. In truth, she had felt that all they would get were dead ends; it was just a feeling that this singer was somehow manipulating things to her advantage and it was sent her on edge.

They stood about the common room waiting for Robin: Starfire hovered overhead, cuddling Silkie. Beast Boy sat on the couch, watching the others with growing dismay mounting on his face. Cyborg and Raven stood behind the couch waiting for Robin-he had told them to meet him in the common room twelve minutes ago and he was becoming very late.

"Uhh-where is he!" snapped Beast Boy, bouncing in his seat. "Let's get this over with-Monster from Deep Space Quadrant is coming on and it's the season finale tonight!"

"Beast Boy-" growled Raven, feeling her nerves fraying. Cyborg lifted a hand to them.

"Calm down, Rae, he's just as nervous as us."

"Am not!" he denied quickly, but defeated his purpose by squirming about. Raven sighed and nodded.

"Whatever, sorry. What in blazes is taking him so-"

"Sorry, sorry!" exclaimed Robin, as he ran in, clearing the couch in a single bound and snatching the remote up and turning on the television. "I just managed to get a hold of her and she's got the information I asked her for, Raven." he said. A young woman with short red hair grinned at them from behind her glasses. Starfire floated down and set Silkie aside giving Robin a suspicious glance.

"Robin, who is this girl?" she asked and he gulped, fighting down a blush.

Beast Boy whistled and Cyborg raised a brow. "Man, what is it with you and red heads?"

"Hey-!" Robin started, while the girl rolled her eyes and interrupted him.

"Call me Oracle." she said quickly to stop the Boy Wonder from speaking. "So, you're the Teen Titans, right? I've heard lots about you from Robin. Now, which one of you is Starfire?"

Starfire blinked and floated up to the screen. "Ah, I am. May I be of any assistance to-?"

"She's cute, Robin, good choice." grinned Oracle, causing both Robin and Starfire to blush. Starfire just gaped in a pleasantly surprised yet shocked out of her wits look. Beast Boy and Cyborg spluttered before bursting into laughter at their friends' expense. Raven blinked and smothered her laughter by pressing her hand to her mouth. "Alright, enough joking! You!" she said looking down at Raven pointedly. "You're Raven then?"

"Yes." she answered. "Robin said you could help?"

The red head nodded. "Alright, I went looking for as much data as I could find-which I could probably tell you the security codes to Fort Knox if I wanted to, so understand when I tell you I found _nothing _how strange it is. People can't even find her song lyrics online." she told them. Cyborg whistled at that and Raven stared at her in shock. "But before you go thinking the search was useless I have something I want to show you guys." she said as she began to type something on her computer's keyboard quickly.

A simple, short email popped up. "Sooo?" groaned Beast Boy at the obvious let down.

"Check out who's it's from." she told them. They all spanned the page to find a simple note at the bottom saying "Sincerely, Mel"-oddly the email had no email address attached to it. "Read the email." she told them as she saw their confused stares.

"_I see you and some of your friends have become curious about me. I thought you might appreciate some help. I know I can be...rather elusive on the internet and I would like them to find this soon._

_Sincerely, Mel"_

"Wow, wow, wow!" shouted Beast Boy. "How can you be sure that it's really that Dragon girl?"

"Beast Boy has a good point, Oracle." agreed Robin, gesturing to him to calm him down. Oracle nodded.

"I did a full search on this email and then went looking for this "Mel". No one's heard of her but I decided to check out an attachment that was on the email." she explained. Several pop ups came up. "I checked them out-they're song lyrics and some pictures in the attachment. Look at the pictures." she said bringing them up.

Several large, color photo were displayed: mostly of one girl standing on stage with a crowd grasping for her. Raven swallowed loudly at the pictures.

Well, she had Malchior's eyes, that was for sure.

Staring at the pictures revealed the shockingly similar eyes that Malchior possessed-straight down to the long lashes and very blue eyes. She also had his thin, lithe build. The girl was slightly older than Raven's self, maybe 17 or 18, with short black hair brushing her chin. One of pictures revealed her exposed back by her halter top: a dragon with wings spanning her shoulder blades and it's head twining up and around her neck. It was uncomfortably similar to Malchior in his dragon shape.

She could have been his long lost...faternal twin. _Or_, she thought with a ferocious turn of her stomach,_ his daughter._

"Wow." was the only thing that came from the group: Beast Boy was the culprit. It took Raven a moment to realize that Beast Boy had seen Malchior's paper man form too-he caught the similar features. "Uh...you don't think-"

"I don't know what to think." she cut him off. It was the truth-she was too shocked to say much more on the subject.

Oracle seemed to pick up on this and switched the pictures over to a simple word program. "But _this _is what I thought you should look at."

"What is it?" asked Beast Boy, leaning forward a bit to squint at the words.

"It's the english lyrics to Dragonkin's song "Il Lair del Drago" in english. It translates to "The Dragon's Lair"." she answered him. Cyborg moved closer to peer at the words.

"So what's so important about lyrics?" he asked. Oracle quickly highlighted one passage in particular.

"This is part of the chorus; read it. Here, it says: the heros are stalling, as they wait for the Herald's call," as she read it off to them. "Sound familiar?"

"The Herald!" gasped Starfire. Robin's hand was already reaching for his communicator when Oracle interrupted him.

"Don't bother. When I read that I checked in with some of my contacts; The Herald hasn't been heard from in two weeks." she told them. Starfire gasped again and Robin let loose a low growl of rage. "It seems he was attacked in his civilian form and had the trumpet stolen. Check out the entire song-it goes on, mentioning the trumpet again. I think there's a message there, guys. I think this "Mel" is trying to tell you something important. And oh, guys?"

"Yeah?" asked Robin, uncertainly.

"This Mel has sent you guys back stage passes to her concert in New Orleans-I suggest you take her up on the _kind _offer." she said. "Well, I gotta go-chem test in the morning and I need to study."

"Thanks, Babs." said Robin with a nod. "Good bye."

"Later, guys!" waved Oracle cheerfully, as she disappeared from the screen. Starfire floated down to him.

"Why did you refer to the Oracle as _'Babs'_?" she asked giving him a suspicious glare. He gave a nervous laugh and quickly changed the subject.

"Ah, right, anyways! I agree with going to the concert; we need to find out more about this Dragonkin anyway!" he said, punching his fist into his open hand. The other Titans nodded.


	3. Dragon's Lair

Raven was quickly deciding that she never wanted to go to another concert again for as long as she lived as she fought her way through the crowd with the other Titans trying to squeeze in ahead of her. They had shown up late to the concert and had been accosted by a couple guards for trying get to backstage. They were nearly ready just to beat the tar out of the guards when a young secretary-looking woman had appeared, stopped the guards, and had told them that Dragonkin would meet them backstage after the show and that for now they should just take their seats, please.

So they had to fight their way through the crowd; Starfire had flown up to their seats and was waiting for them their, leaving Robin to dodge fans wild limbs, Cyborg merely pushing through the crowd, cutting a path big enough to squeeze through quickly, and Beast Boy finally gave up, turned into a bird and flew over to their seats.

"I'm fairly sure I'm going to be dead before the music starts..." she grumbled; the fans at the concert were screaming wildly and pushing against them to catch a glimpse of the stage.

"DRAGONKIN!"

"I LOVE YOU!"

"YEAH, START THE CONCERT!"

Raven rolled her eyes and tried to stick a little closer to Cyborg. Cyborg blinked and looked over his shoulder as he pushed people away. "All right back there, Rae!" he shouted. Raven sighed and nodded. "Just a little farther!" he shouted back to here and kept pushing along.

By the time they reached their seats the fans had begone to chant. Raven took a minute to study the stage; it was a large stadium in which the concert was being held. Multicolored lights danced across the stage as last minute technicians finished setting up instruments.

From back stage a man stepped out and walked to the drums as a few others came out and went to their respectful instruments; seems the band was ready. All that was left was for Dragonkin herself to come out. The crowd picked up on this and began to chant louder.

"_DRAGONKIN! DRAGONKIN!"_

Two back-up singers walked out to the stage and began a quick warm-up before hitting a loud note. "..._Dragon's Lair_..."

The crowd went wild, stopping the chanting and began to scream wildly.

And from the backstage a voice sang out on the speakers. "_From the darkest door_..." The crowd became more incensed and began to jump and clap screaming out the singer's name. "_For what are you searching for?"_

"_Do you search for an entrance,_"

_"or perhaps a concealment, to hide from their stares?"_

"_Are you so desperate as to breech_" Suddenly, Dragonkin burst in all her glory, striding confidently out onto the stage. "_the dragon's lair?"_

The lights danced wildly about the stage and the crowd. The entire crowd was wild with cheers that were quickly subsiding into singing and clamping matching the tempo of the song. Raven took a moment to study Dragonkin; even from their seats, Raven could see the many striking similarities the singer had in common with Malchior. She was tall and thin like him, with the same very blue eyes along with the pale skin tone. She watched as Dragonkin distractedly shoved her ebony black hair from her face as she greeted the crowd with a wave.

"_The ground rumbles with a roar, the people hit the floor_," she sang, her voice racing along with the music. "_what to do when the panic hits_?" She began to pace the stage, reaching out to her fans. On her back, the dragon tattoo flexed as she spun her arms out.

"_Oh, yeah, the dragons are calling, the heros are stalling, as they wait for the Herald's call,"_ she belted out. Raven felt her fellow Titans either stiffen or gasp. "_As they breech the dragon's lair!"_

"_Your powers shall wane, because of her dragonsbane_." she continued. Beast Boy leaned over to Raven to whisper something, his voice nearly lost to the crowd.

"I think I see what you meant with that magic thing in her voice." he whispered. Raven blinked and felt oddly justified for once. She nodded and attempted to smile at him before turning back to the performance.

"_But thy sister will call you free_." she sang. Raven saw Robin's eyes narrow and his mouth frown at the lyric as she continued to sing. "_Oh, yeah, the sorrow in your soul will grow wild and outta control! The trumpet shall sound_..."

"_Oh, yeah, the dragons are calling, the heros are stalling, as they wait for the Herald's call,_" she sang loudly then stuck out the microphone to the crowd. The crowd continued to sing, growing louder for the mike.

"_As they breech the dragon's lair!"_

_"Oh, yeah,_" began Dragonkin then she stuck the mike back out.

"_The dragons are calling, the heros are stalling, as they wait for the Herald's call,_" the called back to her. She grinned and put the microphone back to her mouth.

"_As they breech..."_

_"As they breech..."_

_"As they breech the dragon's lair!"_ she finished draw out the note at the end. The lights went out for a minute and then a single white spotlight landed on her as she waved to the crowd. They went wild.

"Hello, New Orleans!" she laughed with a wave. "How are you guys tonight?" she called; they responded with a loud cry of approval. "Well, the concert's just started and the night is young; how about we get the next song going, right, guys?" she asked the crowd, they yelled again in approval. She grinned and gestured to her band to start the next song. "Well, here's the next one! This one is out on the radio right now, and it's called 'Scapegoat'!"

"_Stop looking at me with those hateful eyes,_

_I've given you what you wanted._

_Don't lie to me-you didn't want love_

_you wanted-justification."_

---------------

The concert continued for nearly another two hours; it was pushing Raven just being an empath in that wild crowd, she had to grab the arm rest to prevent herself from getting up and joining in their screams. After the last song, Beast Boy and Starfire quietly helped her remove her cramped fingers from the deep trenches she had dug her fingers into in the arm rests.

"C'mon," commanded Robin quietly, to not be overhead in the large crowd that was pressing to exit the concert. "Let's get backstage quick while she waits..." Thus began the long trek from their seats to the stage, fighting the flow of the crowd the whole way. A few of the guards spotted them as they drew close, grunted and let them pass.

"Phew!" whistled Beast Boy, trying to lift the heavy mood that had fallen over them. "I thought we'd have to fight to get our way back here, right, guys? I'm mean those were some gruff guards-"

"_My apologies then, but they do their job too well to fire them_."

Beast Boy whirled around to find the young secretary again, talking to them. "Geez, don't do that!"

"Sorry," she said shortly. "You just missed Dragonkin."

"WHAT!" snapped Beast Boy. Raven couldn't help but agree with the frustration rolling off of him.

"Where is she?" asked Robin coolly, obviously just as ticked as the rest of them.

"She wished for me to tell you that she's at the dance club 'M A G I' down town." she told them. "She sends her grievances for having to leave you but something came up and that she'll be waiting for you there for one hour." She read off her clipboard. "If you excuse me, I have to go. The club's at pier 34."

"Just who the heck are you anyway!" snapped Beast Boy raising an accusatory finger at her. She raised a brow at him; she was a young woman with blonde hair obscuring her left eye.

"I'm her agent, Jasper." she told them with a huff. "I also happen to be her cousin."

"Oh..." he trailed off looking a bit sheepish. "...ah, heh, sorry?"

"Hmph." she frowned and walked off.

"Geez, grouchy old bat..." he muttered. Robin shook his head and turned to the rest of them.

"Looks like we have to go find her again." he sighed. "Titans, let's head out."

---------------

The dance club was a bit stuffy, crowded, and dim while colored spotlights swung out, speckling the crowd with many colors. A loud song boomed out on the jumbo speakers as the Titans spread out, searching for the diva in the crowd. Raven herself checked many tables and corners, skirting the crowd of dancers as they swayed to the beat.

Raven sighed in frustration before turning back; she hadn't spotted Dragonkin even once in the crowd. As she headed back, she saw she wasn't the only one who had failed to spot the singer: Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin were waiting for her when she walked up to them.

"Couldn't find her." she grumbled then blinked. "Where's Starfire?"

"In there somewhere." sighed Robin, gesturing to the swaying dance crowd. Raven sighed and was prepared for a long wait when Starfire suddenly appeared, flying over to them leaving a dance partner behind with a wave.

"I must say that I-" she began but Robin waved her off.

"Don't worry, no one else found her either." he said. Starfire frowned.

"But..."

"It's alright." sighed Cyborg.

"Maybe she left?" suggested Beast Boy.

"My friends-" began Starfire.

"No, I can sense she's still here but I can't find her." interrupted Raven. Starfire shrugged and gave up, she turned and flew back over the dancers, headed to one of the large speakers.

"Hey, Starfire, hold on!" called Robin, trying to get her to come back. She pressed on and landed on the speaker; she was pulled into another dance when Raven realized she was dancing with the same dance partner as before. She gasped when the partner swung Starfire in a circle, a spotlight highlighting her bare back.

A large dragon spread out it's wings on her shoulders. Raven shuddered when she realized who Starfire was dancing with.

Starfire began to talk quickly with Dragonkin; Dragonkin turned about and grinned at the Titans before performing an amazing jump spanning the entire dance floor to land in front of them as Starfire flew back.

"So sorry. I was using a glamour; didn't want any fans mobbing me." she explained, brushing off her hands. She was wearing jeans with the knees torn out, sneakers, and a tank top with the back missing. "So, been waiting long have you?"

"Yeah! Dude, we've been looking everywhere for you!" snapped Beast Boy, "I'm tired, hungry, confused, and getting really ticked off at being yanked around by my chain all this time-"

"_Well_," interrupted Dragonkin, with an amused grin. "If you come with me, I can fix the hungry and confused parts." Beast Boy stopped, mouth open with his halted complaints leaving it wide open. The rest of the Titans gaped at her while she began to hum serenely. "Hmm; well? Come with me to my home. We'll get you'll fed and then ...well," she stalled, staring for a moment at Raven before smiling calmly. "There's something I want to show you as well."

Raven blinked and tried to ignore the goose bumps racing up and down her arms.

---------------

"_Bleeeeeeeeeccccccchhhh!"_

"Ugh; dude, did you have to do that in my ear!" growled Cyborg shoving Beast Boy to the side. Beast Boy shrugged and stuck his tongue out at him; seeing that a fight was quickly coming on the horizon, Robin chose to quickly change the topic.

"Ms. Dragonkin, you sent-"

"No no!" she tsked quickly, wagging her finger at them. "In my home you should refer to me as Mel! Dragonkin's my stage name and that's where I want it to stay." Raven blinked and looked about her home; it was a large mansion, hidden in a bayou a good distance from New Orleans. When they had arrived, by magic of Raven _(Dragonkin-no, _Mel_-revealed to them that she had a mediocre power for teleportation)_ she had told them that it was in fact an old plantation that had suffered and fallen into disrepair before she had bought and renovated it. It was large and the furniture inside expensive looking; but all of the antiques and priceless heirlooms inside were nothing to what she would show them (_Mel's words, but they had a prophetic ring to them_).

"Right." he agreed with a twitch; Robin hated to be interrupted and it showed at times when he was irritated. "So, Mel, why did you send us tickets-?"

"Oh, just come out and ask it. I know you want, I won't bite your head off." she told cheekily, as she began to walk down the hall. "Come along, I'll explain along the way."

The Titans blinked and shared a look before they followed.

"So you want to know what I want with you, eh? Or at the very least what I know about your friend the Herald, I suppose?" she asked aloud. Robin tensed but spoke after a moment.

"Yes."

"Well, that's easy enough. I know about your friend by two things; first, even though my powers of magic are limited mostly to glamours and little else...my true talent is an inherited trait; the gift and curse of prophecy." she explained. Raven stopped dead.

"You saw the future? That's impossible; true seers know that there are many possible futures and it's our actions that decide our own destinies-"

"Yes, of course." she agreed warmly, as if pleased by the interruption. She reminded Raven vaguely of an Azarathien priestess who had taught Raven; eager for a clever student to have a bit of debate with. "But the future becomes more and more clear as we venture closer to it; for months I had see what could be and then I knew without a doubt that my visions had come to past. A few family members contacted me about your friend."

"Family members?" echoed Beast Boy.

"What's your family members got to do with this?" asked Cyborg.

"Yes, friend Mel, please tell us!" encouraged Starfire floating over to her side. Mel gave her genial smile.

"Of course, of course, don't fret; I was getting to that part." she told them gently. "You see I'm not the only one of my family with ...unique powers."

"Powers?" echoed Raven. For a moment, blue eyes flitted across her mind and she held back a grimace. _Mel couldn't be..._

"Yes. Long, long ago, my family was descended through powerful sorcerers called the Magi."

"Magi!" gasped Raven, stopping to gape at Mel, who turned about to face her, the gentle smile gone from her face replaced at last by a serious expression. "You're saying you are descended from the three Magi! Do you how unbelievable that sounds-"

"What's the Magi?" asked Robin.

"Sounds like something off a movie..." muttered Beast Boy.

"The Magi were three sorcerers. Powerful beyond compare..." explained Mel. "They even say they could change their shape at will." Her eyes narrowed as if to dare Raven to speak.

Raven, at the moment felt her knees quake. She gulped and swallowed air noisily getting the other's attention.

"Raven...?" began Robin.

"Friend Raven, are you-"

"You're saying...you are...Malchior's descendent! That Malchior was a Magi?" she snapped. The other Titans sucked in a deep breath and stared at Mel.

For the most part Mel had a satisfied if not a bit of mournful expression on her face. She looked older than her seventeen years, with the burden of time sharping her expression. She sighed before she continued, walking over to a wall where a large tapestry hung with a golden rope hung next to. She grasped the rope before turning back to them. "Yes and no, Raven. Malchior was a Magi..."

She pulled the rope and the tapestry pulled back. Upon the wall behind it, three large trees were etched into the wall. It was a bizarre mural for it was not still, the branches shifting and swaying, intertwining branches with names etched into them. What the Titans were staring at was obvious a family tree. At the base of each tree was a name; Blathazar and Caspar's trees had long branches will the last tree looked stunted and branchless. Malchior's name was etched on the last tree.

"...But I am not his descendant. I'm the descendant of his sister, Caspar." she finished. She sighed at their expressions. "Sit down. This will take a while to explain."

---------------

**Phew, that took a while and even now I have to split this chapter in two! In the next chapter we get to find out about Malchior and his siblings.**


	4. My Memories of the Past

_"...But I am not his descendant. I'm the descendant of his sister, Caspar...Sit down. This will take a while to explain."_

With those quick words, Mel had turned and made a grasping movement in the open air as if beckoning to someone or something far above her. There was a loud fizzling noise and a white book fell into her outstretched hand. Raven's breath hitched in her chest as she saw the cover of the vellum in the book.

"_How in the world did you get Malchior's book!"_ she hissed, jumping back to her feet. Beast Boy and Robin were both on their feet; they had both remembered the accursed book that had once held Malchior. Mel sighed and flipped the book open and began to brush through worn pages wearily until flipping back to the beginning.

"Raven, did you ever bother to read this again after Malchior was released by the Brotherhood of Evil? Of course not. My family had to commission a thief to get this back. I suppose you'd like a glimpse of it now?" she asked, holding the book open to her. Raven snarled, shrinking back from the book and used her powers to snap the book shut as it tumbled from Mel's fingers. "Now _that _**was **uncalled for."

"What are you playing at!" she snapped, glaring at the offending object furiously.

"You want answers? Well, Raven, they're all there. In this book," she explained as she swept the book back up, flipped it open once more, and reached inside her shirt, grasping an amulet supposedly made of animal bone. "lie all the answers you've been looking for. I know that you've been searching; searching for the truth behind Malchior and you've been searching...for a reason..._his _reason for what he did." She stared her dead in the eye. "For his _betrayal_. Have you _not_, Raven?"

Raven stiffened, eyeing the book and the amulet in her hands. "Just...what are you planning on doing?"

"Raven, if you say yes, then I'll show you and your friends the answers you've been searching for...and maybe at the end you'll understand why I have gone to such lengths to explain all of this."

Raven was tense, her mind searching for a lie in between all of the young diva's words. The other Titans shifted about; they were uneasy whenever the topic of Malchior came up but now they were confused as to what they should do-agree and see the mysterious past of the one that had so bad damaged their friend or avoid what might be a very tempting trap.

"...well, Raven?" asked Mel. "What say you; do you want to know about Malchior or will you simply allow yourself the indulgence of ignorant bliss? Well, Raven, what say you?"

Caught in her own dilemma, Raven reached a breaking point. Proceed and learn all about the man who had broken her heart or was this just another trick from someone related to the one who had caused her hurts himself? She stared at her a moment longer before sitting up and starring good, long, and hard at the book in the singer's hand.

Slowly, as if still unsure of herself, she stood. And then she quietly nodded in agreement. The other Titans drew a deep breath; sharing a glance Starfire and Robin nodded before walking over to her side. Cyborg also moved forward, placing a comforting hand on Raven's shoulder drawing a wane smile to her lips. Beast Boy looked uncertain for a moment before he bounded over and slapped Raven's other shoulder with a friendly grin; she had his approval and support to move forward. She nodded and turned to Mel.

"Yes. Go ahead."

Mel's eyes warmed for a moment. "I suppose this means that you all wish to go. I was going to ask you each individually but I _was _hoping you'd all say yes." She tightened her grip on her amulet before tearing it from her neck. The amulet was a carved relief of a grinning face of an oriental styled lion, mouth full of shining teeth. "This was especially prepared for this. I've never been good enough to do this myself but...well, you'll see."

She finished her ramble with a shrug and a white light surrounded the amulet, causing to to float above her palm. Small, hairline cracks appeared unnerving the others a bit.

"Don't worry; it's supposed to do that." she assured that. Beast Boy chose this time to ask the obvious question they were all wondering.

"Umm...what IS supposed to _haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" _his questioned turned into a wail as the amulet shattered and they all felt a tug. It was as if someone had grabbed them by the collars and yanked them forward; pitching head forward into the book. Raven failed to bite back a scream as her world went dark.

---------------

"Rae?"

"..."

"Raven?"

"...?" beyond the cocoon of dark haze a voice called out. She felt herself responded before she could think about it.

"Raven!"

"Huh?" she groaned sitting up. She blinked when all she saw was the cramped interior of what appeared to be a box like wagon. Wooden books, were substituted for furniture and what appeared to be a large heap of rags covered by a homely quilt that made for a makeshift bed. For a moment Raven wondered where she was before a shock of white appeared under the quilt; someone with white hair was beneath the quilt. "What the-!"

"Calm down."

Raven blinked and was about to look over her shoulder when she was brusquely ordered about. "Don't look back!" She tensed and returned her gaze to the quilt and the white hair poking out. She heard others walk closer to her side; if she looked out of the corner of her eyes she could see her friends and Mel around her. "Keep your eyes on him, or you'll miss everything important."

"Why? What is this?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" chimed Beast Boy staring at the hair.

"This," explained Mel, "is the past; what we are seeing now is the events that were recorded in the diary. My uncle wrote this all down before he was properly sealed. Rorek felt great justification by sealing Malchior into his own diary; he thought it was like putting the ghosts were they belong-in the past."

"Rorek?" echoed Raven. "So there really was a Rorek that sealed Malchior into the book?"

"Yes. Don't worry, it will all be explained. Sit back and watch. That's all we can do." she told them, then after a moment of consideration she added onto the thought. "There will be things that you'll see; horrible, terrible sights that will break your heart but know now that what we are seeing is recorded memory and can never be changed. We can neither help nor stop what will happen."

"And what will happen?" asked Cyborg quietly but she didn't answer.

A loud sniffle drew their attention back to the bed. The white tuft of hair bobbed up and down for a minute before a small body to accompany the head of hair rose up out of the bed.

It was a young boy. Not even seven, with long white hair and almond shaped black slitted eyes that were being rubbed at. The young boy yawned and blew his nose on a handkerchief left out on his pillow. Raven's knees shook as she realized what she was seeing was a young, quite innocent looking Malchior. He looked a bit different from himself grown up-for one thing those eyes were different from the ones that haunted her so. Malchior sneezed and got up from the bed, walking over to a wall of the wagon with a window in it.

"Mother!" huffed the child. The voice was slightly different too, but that was to be expected. It sounded younger, more childish and sweet, and with the British lilt to it. "Mother, come on and let me out! I feel much better now!"

"Malchior, you get back to bed!" ordered a kind but firm voice outside the window. Obviously, Malchior's mother was driving the wagon as they heard cluck distantly and sooth the horses pulling the wagon before answering him. "You've been sick for a while and I want you to rest still! Do you want to be ill once more?"

"Mother, please? I'm better now, promise!"

"...oh...oh, all right!" she huffed. Malchior cheered as the wagon pulled to a stop. "Well, come on, you ride up here with me then." Malchior was grinning wildly and cheerfully as he raced out of the wagon. They suddenly found themselves pulled out with him. They found themselves out in the middle of wheat fields stretching as far as the eye could see. The wagon itself was a sturdy affair, drawn by two sturdy brown mares passing along a bumpy, muddy road. Sitting at the front of the wagon, a young woman stepped down reaching out for Malchior.

Raven blinked as she looked at Malchior's mother. She reminded Raven of her own mother, Arella, who still dwelled in Azarath. Malchior's mother was a tall, lean woman, wearing a white habit with the hood drawn over her face, hidden the top of her face from view. What Raven did see was the calm, gracious smile across the woman's lips; she looked like a genuine happy mother. Across her waist she wore a golden belt, hanging from it was a broad green cloth and at the bottom a golden dragon crest danced in the sunlight.

"Mother, how much longer till we reach the castle?" asked Malchior as he raced to her side and reached out for her. She quietly bent down and lifted him up onto the driver's board, then turned and gauged the sun's position before looking down the road.

"Well, Malchior," she started, her voice colored by the warm British lilt like her son's. "I'd saw that we'll be there by sundown." she answered before swinging up next to her son as he cheered. She clucked to the horses and gave the reigns a firm tug.

"That is..." began Raven.

"Is she really..." started Starfire, turning to Mel.

"She is his mother. You can't see it but she has white hair too, you know." she answered. "Her name is lost to all but Malchior but he never wrote it down. People referred to her as the first Magi. Malchior and his siblings would later take the name in her honor when they...Well, you'll see."

"Where are they going?" asked Robin suddenly. Mel blinked and hmmed as she thought of the answer.

"A small castle that no longer exists. It was destroyed years and years ago now." she answered.

Cyborg turned to look at her. "Where's his siblings anyway?"

"You'll see." she answered.

"You keep saying that." groaned Beast Boy.

"Because it's true. Actually...you'll see his brother very quickly."

From the wagon, Malchior laughed at something his mother said and looked out to the horizon. He then gasped and grabbed his mother's sleeve. "Mother! Look there-!"

"I see." she answered, drawing the horses up short and standing up, looking out onto the horizon. The Titans saw a large, dark plume of smoke rising up into the air. The Magi frowned and sat down, snapping at the reigns to get the horses to race forward. The two mares whinnied and took off, racing down the road. Eventually, they came across the smoldering wreckage of what appeared to be three wagons. "Looks like trading wagons." she murmured before jumping down. "Likely attacked by bandits. I'm going for a look."

"I'll go too!" announced Malchior, preparing to jump down. His mother turned and raised his hand to him.

"No, Malchior! Stay here, were I know where you are." she told him. Malchior's face twisted into disappointment.

"But, mother-"

"No, Malchior. Now, can I trust you to stay here?" she asked with a serious expression on her face. He stopped and bowed his head.

"Yes, mother..."

"Good. Now, stay here, son!" she said as she hurried to the burning wreckage.

Malchior sighed and sat down hard on the board. For a moment, he watched the remains burn before blinking as a noise sounded off to his right. He stood up and stared out into the wheat fields. Beneath a small grove of trees, a dark shape moved. "Hello?" he called out. The shape moved again and groaned. "H-hello?" He stopped, looked back at the wreckage before hopping down and racing over to the grove until he came to the shape. The Titans moved with him.

"Hello?" he asked again to the shape. The shape was not much bigger than him. In fact, as a single beam of sunlight danced across the shape's face Malchior realized he was staring at a young boy about his age. He had dark almost ebony colored skin, with stubble hair, and his eyes clenched in pain. "Hey, are you alright?"

The young boy groaned again and opened his eyes. They were a sky blue color that gave Raven pause; now that was the color of the Malchior she knew's eyes. Why were they in this young boy's face? She was about to ask Mel when the boy began to talk with a young, British voice.

"Ugh...wh-who?"

"Malchior. Malchior of Nall, the son of the Magi." he answered quickly. "Who are you?"

"Ba-Balthazar..." he chocked, nearly passing out once more.

"Hold on, I'll call for mother!" Malchior told him before racing back to the wagon. His mother was already there and looking for him. "Mother!"

"Malchior!" gasped his mother in relief. She then grew angry as all worried mothers tend to do. "Malchior, I told you to stay here-"

"Mother, you must help Balthazar!" he cried racing over to her. "He's hurt, mother, help him, mother!"

"Malchior, hold on! Who in the world is Balthazar?" she asked, surprised at his interruption and his words.

"The boy, mother, the boy over there by the trees! He's hurt, mother, save him, please!" he begged, tugging on her skirt. She grew stony with decision and nearly flew over to the grove.

"Malchior, get the bed ready and on no uncertain terms are you to stray from that wagon, do you hear me!" she shouted as she dove into the trees. Malchior nodded though she couldn't see him and raced to prepare the bed in the wagon as he mother collected Balthazar.


	5. My Siblings

**I swear to God I'm not dead, just grounded! Well, I have the usual spring blahs(you know that "kinda" depression thing people get in winter? Well, I get that in spring) so I haven't been writing lately. No more! I resolve myself to finish this chapter!**

**HEAR ME, WORLD! THE BITCH IS BACK!**

---------------

Raven blinked as she watched Malchior's mother tend to the young boy who now slept in Malchior's bed, while Malchior himself stood on his toes watching his mother's ministrations as she bandaged up Balthazar. The young boy had several cuts and bruises across his body, and his hands were badly burned, the flesh seemed to throb painfully and bled sluggishly. His mother rubbed some herbal balm into them but sighed at the sight.

"Mother?" asked Malchior cautiously. His mother blinked and looked down at him. "Mother, will Balthazar be alright?"

Malchior's mother sighed. "I don't know, darling, I don't know." she shook her head then put her hand behind his head to gently shepherded him out as he looked back at his friend. "We'll have to let him rest for now...we'll take him with us to the castle."

Malchior blinked and looked up at his mother. "Will someone be able to help him, mother?"

Again she sighed, helping him up onto the steering board. "Maybe." she said, settling up front with him and taking the reigns. She looked at the smoldering wreckage then swiftly jumped back down and hefted Malchior down, crouching so they were eye-level. "Malchior, avert your eyes." she said seriously. Malchior's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"But, why, mother...?"

"Don't question me, my son, and do as you're told." she ordered, turning him about. "And I mean it; this isn't a sight for your eyes." Malchior pouted but covered his eyes with his clothed hands. "Good." she said before turning back, causing the hem of her habit to fly up. Green magic began to whip up a fierce wind; a circle of green magic spun beneath her feet, runes dancing in the circle of power. She held her arms parallel to the ground, then began to let her hands dance in an intricate movements. **_"Shifting Earth, my mother, accept back to your power these lost souls. Return the bodies to your dust, lead their stricken souls to peace everlasting, and lead them unto new lives."_**

Malchior blinked. There was a loud crack and roar as if the earth had yawned open. Against his mother's wishes, he peeked around her and watched as the caravan's bodies were lifted into the air and then laid in the yawning crack in the ground. It made his stomach clench and his jaw dropped as he watched in awe as his mother made a quick gesture with her hand and the ground sealed up as if it hadn't been split open like an over ripe ground just moments before; the wagons were gone along with the bodies as if they had never been.

With a groan, Malchior's mother fell to her knee, panting. Malchior gasped and went to her side with a cry. "Mother!" His mother panted, gripped the small hand he had placed on her arm and groaned as she staggered back up. Malchior stared up at her, thinking she was going to say something momentous, something that would put the lost souls to rest, fix it so Balthazar wouldn't be maimed, and put Malchior's own fears to rest.

She stood a moment, staring at the scorched bit of earth where the caravan had been. Then she turned to the wagon and lurched her way to it. "Come, Malchior, we must press on."

For a moment, Malchior stared after her, feeling lost to a world of grownup hurts and disappointments when he should just be a ten-year old playing with others his age. It was a jarring moment.

"He'll spend the rest of his life haunted by this moment." spoke Mel, speaking faintly. Raven thought for a moment that she really hadn't spoken but really her attention wasn't on Mel. All she could do was stare at the young Malchior and feeling for a moment a kindred feeling, like the two children pushed too early into the adult world. "You wouldn't think it would be this moment, but then it doesn't really take much does it?"

The question was rhetorical, but in their minds, the Titans answered her with memories of such moments of their own.

The world went black.

---------------

"Whoa, what happened?" gasped Beast Boy. They all blinked and peered about before the image seemed to come back like a screen projector coming into focus.

"New memory." answered Mel unnecessarily. "Just after Malchior and his mother found Balthazar, they sped on to the castle." she told them, pointing to the castle in the distance. Once again, they were watching Malchior and his mother as they pressed on down the bumpy road.

"Why _are _they heading to the castle?" asked Cyborg.

"Oh, yes, I had wished to ask that earlier but..." Starfire trailed off. For a moment, they all started to think about what they had just seen but Mel started to talk quickly before the silence allowed them to continue too far.

"Malchior's mother had been asked to come to fill the position of a court sorcerer." explained Mel. "Malchior never did come flat out and write that down but one of my family members, my great grandfather I think, found that in some writing of Balthazar that Malchior's mother and him had been wanderers since before Malchior was born and she had wanted to find a place to live so that Malchior could have some...well, normality in his live. Something like he could have a real, permanent home instead of one on wheels."

Raven watched as Malchior and his mother finally crested the last hill and rode quickly up to the castle gates.

"Halt and give your name, stranger!" shouted a guard. "What is your business here?"

Malchior's mother made a "stay-put" gesture to him and stood up. "I am the wandering sorceress, the Magi! I've been called by the Lord of this castle for a position in his court." she called to them. Raven's lips quirked as the guards paled; Malchior giggled into his fist as his mother put her hands on her hips, the picture of motherly impatience. "So, if you would be so kind as to open the gates...?" she trailed off, sending the guards bumbling into each other to get the gate open for her.

Malchior's mother sat back down, smiled at her son for a return grin from Malchior before she clucked to the horses and smacked the reigns against their flanks. The horses snorted and rolled into the courtyard. Stable boys ran up to them, waiting for her to give up control of the wagon to them. She shook her head at them and drove over to the stables herself before swinging down and helping her son down. She went inside and collected Balthazar quickly, his small prone body wrapped tight in the quilt. She then said a charm and made a gesture before slipping her hand into a pouch on her belt and tossing some rose colored dust into the air. A green circle of magic warded the wagon and she nodded before latching onto Malchior's hand and leading him into the castle.

It went black for a moment. It was disconcerting as the darkness was so sudden and without warning.

"Ugh, I'm starting to hate it when that happens." groaned Beast Boy. There was sounds of general consensus but Mel stood aloof from them.

"I'm sorry but you'd better get used to it. We have awhile to go and it'll be happening more and more often." she told them. Even Robin looked a bit green around the gills at the thought.

The image was back again. This time Malchior watched as Malchior's mother handed off Balthazar to a woman who rushed him away before his mother turned back to him. "Ready, Malchior?" she asked, placing him at her side.

"Yes, Mother." he said softly as the doors before them parted. Malchior's mother started forward and he followed her into the large room.

Raven was a romantic at heart; she adored the old, gothic styled castles with their marble columns, well-to-do tall glass windows, and the rich tapestries that coated the walls like a second skin. She felt right at home with the scene before her.

The room was something of a large feasting room, with three long tables set up like an upside-down "U" with a Lord sitting with his advisors in front of a roaring fire. The tables were nearly fill with people, both extraordinary and plain. In the middle of the far right table, the only child of the entire group stared them.

She was a small girl child, who had been swinging her legs back and forth, and picking at her food with an oversized fork.(Raven couldn't help but see it was the wrong fork as well, as she was trying to eat a steak with salad fork.) She had long black hair, pale, exotic features with dark almond eyes. Her lips twisted at the sight of the boy and she gave him a small wave.

Raven felt bizarre and absurd with the jealously that welled up in her when the young Malchior blushed and ducked his head.

She wasn't the only one who had noticed the interaction between the children.

"Who's the little girl?" asked Robin.

"You'll see." answered Mel.

Raven couldn't help but feel a twitch developing in her jaw at Mel's repetitive answer. _Honestly, couldn't she just give them a straight answer _once...?

"Now, hush. This is important." sighed Mel.

Malchior's mother stepped up to the Lord at the high table. "My lord." she greeted him respectively. He nodded at her; he was a handsome man, with an exotic look about him. He had almond dark eyes and rich, slicked back black hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck with a sharp black goatee.

"Ah, yes, the Magi, I presume?" he asked.

She nodded and bowed.

Malchior's attention drifted away from his mother and the fine looking lord before them, his gaze flitting across the faces of the people there. He viewed each quickly before he finally landed again on the young, dark haired girl again.

She was stabbing at her food again, and mimicking the words the lord were saying while over imitating them. A old, ruddy faced matron turned and pinched the girl. The young girl glared up at the woman and proceeded to continue on the moment the woman turned back to the lord. For a moment, her eyes drifted back forward to find that Malchior was staring at her. She grinned cheekily and stuck her tongue out at him.

He grinned and ducked back about to catch the end of the lord's words. "...-and of course, we'll have rooms set up for you and child." he finished. Malchior's mother nodded before she cleared her throat.

"My lord, if I may speak...?" she started, waiting for permission to continue. The lord nodded so she went on. "On the road here, we encountered a burned out caravan."

Several of the people around them gasped. The lord frowned and nodded at her to continue.

"I believe it was by bandits. All the valuables and anything else they could carry was taken. The rest was left to burn. I discovered twenty dead, and my son found a single survivor." she reported. "He lives, and I tended to him as well as I could."

"And what of his injuries?"

"Various scraps and bruises. His hands were burned badly, I suspect he had returned to the wreckage to try to find his family and burnt his hands before we found him underneath a near by grove. The only other serious injury was a bump to his head." she finished.

"And what of him now?" asked the lord.

"He sleeps. I tended to his hands with some good herbs; he will have full use of them, those I expect him to be able to predict the rains when he grows old by the pains that will no doubt afflict his hands." she said. The lord nodded. "My Lord, I wish to have the boy remain under my eye. I will continue to tend to him and teach when he grows. I already have a son; another would do me no harm."

The lord thought a moment before nodding. "I will grant you this wish. Go then, Magi, and my servants will take you to your rooms. No doubt you wish to retire there after your long journey."

"Very good, my lord." she answered before turning about. The world went black.

---------------

The next time the image reappeared, Malchior sat at his bed, reading a large book bound in red leather. In the other bed in the room, Balthazar slept.

He had woken every now and then; Malchior had waited for him to wake up fully before he explained all of the events to him.

"He toke it rather well actually." spoke Mel, surprising the others. "Malchior later wrote that he thought Balthazar might have known all along what had happened, but Balthazar took it rather well. The Magi kinda adopted him and both the boys got along well."

"So, your saying he just woke up and said "Oh, my family's dead, that's fine as long as you're my new family"?" asked Beast Boy, snidely. Mel rolled her eyes at him.

"I said that he toke it well, not _that _well." she huffed.

Raven ignored them and turned back to image. Malchior turned the page, running his finger along the words on the page as he read. He blinked and looked up at the doorway when he heard someone loudly clear their throat.

"_Ahem_." huffed the small girl from the feast from before. She stood there in a pink dress, soiled with smudges of dirt and grass around the knees. She gave him a cheeky before talking. "You're that witch's brat from before, huh?"

Malchior didn't know what to more offended at, the slight against his mother or the brat comment. He jumped to his bed. "You're the brat! Don't you call me and my mother those things or you'll regret!"

The little girl only snorted but her eyes widened with excitement. "Why not? That's what _everyone's _calling you and her!" she snapped back at him before bouncing into room. "Besides, what can you do to me, do you know any magic?"

"Why you-!" he half shouted. "I'll show you!" he growled and jumped on her. They quickly began to kick, bite, and scream at each other though both were wore out before they did much harm to each other. They sat on the dusty floor, staring at each other.

She quickly laughed and crawled for to him before sitting tailor style in front of him. "That was fun! No ever wanted to tussle with me before!" she laughed. Malchior stared at her like she had grown another head.

"Really? Why not?" he asked.

She just blew our her breath in a great _whoosh_ that made her bangs ruffle and fly up. "Stupid! Don't you know who I am?"

"No..." he answered, reluctantly. He didn't like the thought that he didn't know all that she knew already.

"I'm the lord's only heir, his daughter." she told him, excited to tell him. "I'm called Caspar."

Malchior sat, staring at her before nodding. "I'm Malchior."

"And I'm Balthazar."

Both of the children blinked and looked to the bed. Balthazar was sitting up, his hands wrapped up like mittens, and studying them with faintly interested eyes. He watched as they hopped up and unto his bed. Malchior was the first to speak, grinning widely.

"So, you're awake!" he laughed. "Good, come on, let's go play!"

"Hey, hey! Can I come too?" asked Caspar excitedly.

"No! You're a girl!" snorted Malchior indignantly.

"You know, she could order us to play with her since she's the lord's daughter." he explained, giving him an aloof look.

Caspar grinned widely at him. "Oh, yes, I shall!" she exclaimed, standing up on the bed covers, and placing her hands on her hips. She then pointed importantly at Malchior, sticking her finger right in his face. "I order you to let me play with you two!" she proclaimed. The over-all effect was ruined when she turned to Balthazar to ask him, "Did I do that right?"

"Yes," he grinned. "Perfect!"

Malchior pouted. "Well, alright..." he huffed then blinked and looked at Caspar as if seeing her in a new light. "Hey, you've lived here all your life, right?"

Caspar blinked, bemused by the sudden question. "Yes?"

Malchior began to grin excitedly. "Well, then, you must know quite a lot of the castle's _grounds_..." he trailed off cheekily as he watched the other two children brighten considerably.

"Oh, yes!" clapped Caspar with excitement shining in her eyes. "I can show lot's of things! Oh, let's go now and look! We'll have so much fun!"

And then the image went black.


	6. My Oath

**Phwee, I hate making you guys wait for long periods during updates, so I challenge myself to work harder!(Phtt, like this'll last long...)**

---------------

"You know I'm getting really sick and tired of that!" snapped Beast Boy. The image was coming into focus slowly, and finally it showed the three children racing about laughing but there was no sound. "Hey, who turned the volume off?"

"If I remember right, these are just short glimpses. There's too many to go through so it's speeding forward." answered Mel. "See, the memory's already changed."

She was right. While she had been explaining the image had changed from the three children running about to being one of them climbing trees and stealing apples.

Suddenly a single memory from the images stopped. The three children were ducking into a room, giggling and whispering to each other. Caspar grinned as she pulled open the door. Very obliviously it was her room from the toys and dollies strewn about to the large bureau and even the large portrait of her and her parents. "Come on!" she whispered as they slipped inside and she shut the door quickly. With a laugh, she raced over to her bureau and pulled a delicate black lace fan down and snapped it open for the two boys to admire. "See? This is my treasure!"

"Ahh! A fan? How boring!" sniffed Malchior theatrically. Balthazar quietly admired the fan with a smile as Caspar became indignant. "I thought your treasure would be like a-like a-a golden rapier!"(-a rapier is a sword specifically for fencing)

"Pfft!" she snorted. "This was a gift from my mother!"

Malchior blinked and glanced with a shamed face at the ground. "Never mind..." he muttered then fixed a grin on his face for her. "It's a great treasure."

Satisfied with pride healed, Caspar nodding regally and ignored him making the boy squawk indignantly at her while Balthazar laughed.

More images flew by. Then it finally changed to one of a courtyard.

Balthazar sat down on a stool, a wooden stick propped underneath his hands as he watched his friends. Caspar and Malchior used their own sticks to mock fight each other. Both looked a bit winded and sweaty. Tucked into her skirt, Raven spied the fan the little girl seemed to adore.

"You'll never beat em, evil hag!" snapped Malchior as he parried and tried to thrust at her. She neatly spun away from him and smacked his back as he wobbled past her.

"Aha, you lose, black knight!" she shouted triumphantly. Malchior sat up and growled.

"You cheated!"

Caspar became indignant. "I did not!"

"You did too!"

"Why'll I'll show you cheating!" she snapped, tossing down her stick and pouncing on him. They tussled about on the ground, biting and clawing at each other and generally kicking up a lot of dust. Balthazar coughed and tried to break them up.

"Hey, c'mon guys, stop fighting!" he said hesitantly. Balthazar gasped as he saw Malchior's mother making her way to them at brisk speed. "Hey, guys-ooh!" he winced and backed away as the Magi reached down and tore the two apart.

"_Enough_." hissed Malchior's mother, giving each child's collar a firm shake. Malchior sported a split lip and Caspar's eye was turning dark quickly. "I can't leave you three alone for ten minutes." she huffed, dragging each child behind her as Balthazar quietly padded on behind her. By the time the had reached their rooms, Malchior and Caspar were comparing injuries with each other and debating which was more serious.

Later that night, Malchior and Balthazar curled around Caspar who had snuck in on Balthazar's bed, giggling to each other.

"Hey guys?" began Caspar. "What are you guys going to do when you grow up? All I am going to be is an heiress till I'm married to someone respectable with high rank and all that. Boooring."

Balthazar shrugged. "I'll go where ever Malchior goes, I suppose."

Caspar turned to Malchior. "And so? What shall you do?"

Malchior hummed quietly in thought. "I don't know..." he rolled over so he could look up at the ceiling with a faint smile. "I want to be a sorcerer...like my mother. I suppose I'll train hard and become a great mage."

Balthazar grinned to Caspar who kept her eyes trained on Malchior.

"I'll become famous. I'll fight evil beings who try to hurt my friends and mother! I'll have lots of friends...and I'll have a big family."

"And who are you supposed to marry, Malchior?" asked Balthazar with a grin. Caspar poked Malchior and made kissing noises at him.

"I'll...I don't know." he finished with a thick blush coloring his cheeks as he turned his face to them. Balthazar shrugged and settled down deep into the blanket, quickly falling to sleep's sway. Malchior prodded Caspar's arm. She opened an eye and raised a brow at him.

"Yes?"

"Caspar...you'll be bored if you marry a nobleman right?" he asked swiftly.

Caspar raised the other brow and quietly nodded.

"Well...how about I-I marry you...so you'll never be bored?" he asked anxiously. Caspar giggled at him.

"Malchior, you don't have any rank!" she chuckled.

"But if I did...?" he asked.

She giggled again at him. "Maybe. Night, Malchior."

"Night...Caspar." he finished. She smiled as she slept and he sighed before settling in.

The world went black.

---------------

"Well that was..." began Cyborg before trailing off.

"Disturbing?" finished Raven, with a small twinge of rage. The others wisely said nothing as the image came into focus. When it did, Mel cursed softly, almost so none of them were sure the Diva had even spoken. "Something up?"

"Well, things are going to pick up very quickly. Get ready for more of those black outs cause things are going to be moving faster after this one. Actually...there's going to be a time leap...but you'll see that when it comes to that point." she finished.

Malchior shouted as he thrust forward and tried to knock Caspar off balance. The ten year old girl laughed and danced around him. He huffed as he landed hard into the dirt.

"So, that's Caspar five, Malchior zero. ...how about a break?" asked Balthazar from where he sat with his own stick resting on his knees. Caspar was laughing too much to comment. Malchior took the opening and tackled to the dirt. As the two wrestled about in the dust, Balthazar sighed. The two continued to fight until a loud boom noise echoed through the sky.

"What was that?" asked Malchior as he let go of Caspar to look at the battlements. Guards suddenly began to race back and forth as the three of them got up and watched mutely.

"What do you think is happening?" asked Caspar quietly. The ground suddenly shook and loud crash split the air.

"What in the world...?" began Malchior, as the three of them tottered to try and regain their balance. A second blast followed and they fell to the ground. "Mother!" he shouted in shock as he spotted her running to them.

Malchior's mother raced up to them and swept Malchior up into her arms in relief. "Children, are you unhurt?"

"Yes, mother, what-?"

"Good." she sighed and pulled them to her. "Children, listen to me closely; Daizen, our neighbor to the south attacks us with the full force of his armies." Caspar gasped and turned to run into the castle. "Wait, Caspar!"

"Father!" she sobbed as Malchior's mother caught her collar and pulled her back.

"Too late for that, child, now listen to what I say!" she ordered. The three children stared up at her in shock. "I must send you away. I'll send you deep into the western forest, near the ledge where our scouts camp. Head to them and stay there until I send for you! Do you understand?"

"But, mother-!" began Malchior. "You've taught me my magic! I can help!"

"My father! What shall happen to him!" begged Caspar. "I'm his heir! He _needs _me!"

"Ma'am, _please_..." began Balthazar.

Malchior's mother made a silent gesture in front of them and they stopped to listen to her. "I know you worry for us, but your place is where it is safe." she told them. "No buts. Understand?" She waited for them to agree then pursed her lips at Malchior, the only one to not agree. "Malchior. Do as I say and take care of them..." she trailed off. "In these last few years, I've seen you all become so close. You're practically siblings and I feel as your mother. ...Do as I say, and take care of each other!" she finished.

"Mother-" sobbed Malchior, hugging her waist. She kissed him and stood back.

"Be good, my children." she said then she began to gesture to them. A green magic surrounded her and a green circle with runes spun beneath her feet. **_"Oh ye gods of the winds, transport these children far from her. Keep them safe as I can not..."_**

A swirling green wind surrounded them. Malchior panicked and reached for his mother to only find himself and the other two encase in a green bubble of his mother's magic. "MOTHER!" he wailed as they began to disappear from in front of her.

For a moment before he was truly gone, the wind from the spell caught his mother's hood and forced it back. Her white hair was plaited tightly in a braid and her violet eyes shone with tears. Raven's breath caught as she stared into his mother's eyes, mere shades darker than her own eye color. His mother smiled so sadly at them. "Be good, my beloved son..."

Malchior howled as he landed hard in the middle of the woods. Caspar and Balthazar staggered behind him.

"Where are we?" gasped Balthazar as he regained his posture. Malchior was at their side for only a moment before he tore off into the forest. Balthazar said a curse that he had heard a guard say once and he and Caspar raced off after him. They ran through the forest to the came to a clearing with a ledge overlooking the forest and in the distance, the castle stood.

"What's going to happen...?" asked Caspar as she watched her home be battered. For a moment, there was pure silence and then a powerful green light erupted from the castle unfolding into the sky. Raven gasped as a astral dragon of green uncaped it wings.

"As you can see," began Mel, "the dragon is the Magi's astral form. Her symbol of power as it were, like Raven's raven."

The dragon opened it's maw and green light poured down unto their enemy. The three children gasped as the dragon swept downward and began to rip soldiers off the ground and toss them like playthings into the air. Briefly a hope began to swell in them that everything would be fine.

"Come on, mother..." pleaded Malchior, fisting his hands tight. "Mother, come on..."

The dragon swept more into the air and then it arched painfully to the earth before dissipating.

Balthazar and Caspar gasped. "What's happened?" asked Caspar.

Malchior stared, eyes wide, hands still fisted in hope. Then he silently fell to his knees. "Mother..."

"Malchior!" gasped Caspar, rushing to his side. "Malchior, are you alright? What's happened?"

"Mother..." he repeated.

"She's gone."

Caspar blinked and turned her head to Balthazar. His shoulders shook and tears viciously tracked down his cheeks. "You don't know that..." she said. "You can't be sure!"

"...mother..." Malchior echoed quietly before staggering up. "Mother!" he screamed and nearly raced right off the ledge. With a gasp, Balthazar caught him and tugged him back. "MOTHER! MOTHER! LET ME GO! NO! I HAVE TO SAVE MOTHER! MOOOOOOTHEEEEEEEEER!"

"Malchior! Malchior!" wailed Caspar in shock. "Stop it, Malchior!" He appeared to not have heard them as he struggled on screaming all the while. "What of my father!" she gasped in horror, as if remembering her own parent in the castle.

"MOTHER!" he screamed, nearly tearing his throat apart with the volume of his voice.

"Malchior!" hissed Balthazar, finally shoving him to the ground and pinning him there as he cried and screamed.

It was almost too much to bear to watch for the Titans. Even Mel was looking a bit shaken at the sight. Raven sucked on her bottom lip as she heard Starfire sniffling at her side.

"Please, friend Mel...is there nothing to be done for them...?" whispered Starfire, half sobbing. At her other side, Raven heard Mel sigh.

"I am afraid not...like I said this is merely recorded events in a diary. We can not change this past and if we did, how much would the future change as well?" Mel answered bitterly.

_Malchior..._ quietly thought Raven to herself, _...fate has been so cruel to you as well...hasn't it?_ She sighed at the thought. She sympathized with the boy in front of her, but could that really be the Malchior that had so deftly broken her heart? How could such a innocent, heartbroken boy ever wish to break the heart of another? She shook head and continued to watch as the silver haired child in front of her sobbed his heart out, defeatedily on the ground as he brother stood up and let go of him.

"...hic...mother...mother!" he sobbed. "No...no...it's not fair...mother-!"

"...stop it." huffed Caspar. "Get up! You're not the only one to lose your parents!" she hissed as Malchior pulled himself up, indignantly turning to snap at his friend for her insensitivity.

"Shut up! I hate you!"

"And I hate you!"

"...stop it...Stop it." repeated Balthazar. "STOP IT!" he screamed, interrupting them. He shoved his scarred, warped palms at them. Both of them turned away from the sight. "Crying never solved anything, neither will grieving like that! I did that and look at me! LOOK AT ME! We have to do something!" he hissed, shoving his fists down to his sides.

Malchior hastily wiped at his eyes while Caspar quietly stared at the fan she had tucked into her skirt; her last reminder of home. She snapped it shut and clasped it to her chest. "...but what can we do?" she whispered.

"...I'm sick of this..." hissed Malchior.

Balthazar and Caspar stared at him. "...Malchior...?" quietly asked Caspar.

"I'm sick of all of it!" he snapped, fisting his little dirty hands up. "I hate crying! I swear, I'm not going to cry any more! I swear it! I don't want to any more tears-not from me not from you two! I hate them!"

"...hate who, Malchior?" asked Balthazar.

"Them! The bandits that killed your family! The invaders that killed mother and the lord!" he shouted. "I hate them! They make everyone cry! I'll stop them, I'll swear I will! I'll make sure no one has to cry, that nobody has to lose their family like us! I swear it! I'll do whatever it takes!" he shouted then quieted as he stared at the other two, who were watching in shocked silence. "What**_ever_** it takes. I'll make this world a better place, no matter what!"

The other two stared on a minute before nodding.

"I will too!" agreed Caspar, sticking out her hand.

"Me too!" agreed Balthazar, placing his hand on top of her own. Malchior stared and nodded. Then he slapped his hand on top of their's.

"Agreed then! We'll stop them at all costs!" he swore.

_"That's it!"_ surged Mel, shocking the Titans. Raven turned to stare at Mel for the first time since they had arrived. Her hands were fisted and she stared on in awe. The Titans were left confused, trying to puzzle out the enigmatic cry from the diva.

"What is it, Friend Mel?" asked Starfire curiously.

"That's the moment you've been watching for-this is the very first glimpses of what caused Malchior to try a hostile take over this world." she answered. Raven gasped and stared back at the three little children.

_This it? This promise to right a harsh, unjust world?_ wondered Raven. "You're saying that this is what causes Malchior to try and take over Earth? A promise to make a better world?"

"That sounds kinda..." trailed Cyborg at a loss.

"...it sounds like a good wish." finished Robin, voice cool, but Raven could feel a trace of bitterness in his psyche.

"That which starts out good...doesn't always stay so." answered Mel. "Hush...this is important."

"But, Malchior..." began Caspar. "We don't _have _magic like you...how can we help?"

Malchior finally cracked a grin for his friends. "I can fix _that_."

---------------

**Oh! Mal's up to something...hee.**


	7. My Pains

**Err, please don't kill me? Sorry, I've been away so long but with graduation, and open houses I've been busy. That and I've been working on other stories. On good news, the memory ark will be finished soon after this. And then hopefully it'll pick up. Actually the ending's already been written. After the memory and first arks are done then I have the second to do. That's right, a whole other ark!**

**...um, please put down those pitch forks. Eep!**

---------------

_"But, Malchior..." began Caspar. "We don't have magic like you...how can we help?"_

_Malchior finally cracked a grin for his friends. "I can fix that."_

Balthazar and Caspar shared a look before turning their attention back to their friend. "And then...just how are you planning on doing that, Malchior?" asked Balthazar waiting for him to explain himself.

Malchior held out his hands to him and Caspar. "Take my hand and find out." he said quietly. Balthazar and Caspar shared a look before hesitantly placing their hands in his. "And take each others." Another hesitant pause later and the three were joined hand to hand in a small circle. "If you want, I give you part of my power. You can do magic just like me. It'll grow with you but if we do this then we'll be most powerful together."

"You can do that?" whispered Caspar in awe, clenching her hands around theirs.

"Mother showed me." he explained. "She told me it's like giving you seeds of power. It'll grow with you and together when really be strong."

"Amazing." breathed Balthazar.

"But we all have to agree to this, alright?" Malchior told them. Both nodded and he clasped their hands tighter. "Alright then, repeat after me! The words are really hard to pronounce!"

"Alright, ready?"

"Ready!"

"Okay, then. Repeat after me!" he began, taking a deep breath. They copied him and waited. **_"Nozit cholk so. Decrempt mirisq nall. Nellshot menior! Ak va craslt!"_** (Why no latin? Because I'm sick and tired of trying to translate to latin. And yes I made that all up. If the animators can do that, so can I.)

After they finished, green swirling light and strong winds spun around them. The light and wind began to spin faster and faster almost forming a miniature whirlwind around them, as it did the shining green light took on the shape of a dragon before a backwash of power smashed them apart.

"Oww!" huffed Caspar as she propped herself up on her elbow. "Malchior I'm never listening to you again!"

"Did it work?" he huffed, sitting up.

"Look!" gasped Balthazar. The two of them looked to him. His hands glowed with bright white light. Gasping, they looked down at their own hands and saw the same glowing white light shining around them. Laughing the three of them looked up at each other and their eyes met and they stared.

And stared.

"Umm, guys...your eyes...they changed!"

"Well, your's did too!" Caspar shot back. It was true. While each child was almost identical from before, their eyes had changed. Each pair of eyes was almond shaped, blue as the sky, and slit.

"Wow." gasped Malchior. "Mother never mentioned this." They stared at each other for a bit before finally doing the sensible thing and getting off the cold damp ground. "I suppose this makes us siblings."

"Really?" asked Caspar. "You sure?"

"Come on, we should head to that scout post." murmured Balthazar, already making his way through the dense undergrowth. Caspar was about to follow when she realized Malchior was still standing at the ledge, looking out into the distance.

"Malchior! Come on, we gotta go!" she called to him. He looked over his shoulder at her before nodding. He hesitated a minute longer before turning and following his new siblings and running through the forest.

_"Woh." Beast Boy breathed. There wasn't much else _to_ say about what they had just seen. He turned to Mel with wide eyes. "Umm, right, what just happened?"_

_Everyone else who **had** been paying attention groaned._

_"So, they can share power?" asked Robin. "Is that possible?"_

_"Yes but no one usually gives away power, let alone split three ways." answered Raven. "No one is usually quite _that_ charitable."_

The scene changed again but in a different way; the image merely blurred before refocusing. It was the same ledge but the trees and undergrowth had grown thicker and larger. And walking through the greenery, Malchior stepped out onto the ledge and stared out into the distance at the ruins of a once proud castle.

"Malchior!" came a young, feminine voice. "Malchior, come on! We're going now! Gods, are you here again?" Behind Malchior, a grown up Caspar stood beside an older Balthazar. "Come on, we're leaving today, aren't we?"

"Yes." he answered finally, turning to them. "Let's go."

_"Where are they going?" asked Cyborg as they watched the trio walk away while the scene began to change again._

_"Traveling." answered Mel. "The entries become more infrequent as two years pass--"_

_"Great more scene changes." grumbled Beast Boy._

_"--And become more brief. Just a bit to go to the end." As she spoke the scene finally solidified. "See? Already more than halfway done."_

As the image came into focus, they saw that three adolescents, riding down a long dirt road. They were chattering back and forth, grinning at one another. With a laugh, Malchior shoved at Caspar who took to defending herself by trying to smack him with her fan. Balthazar merely rolled his eyes at the two of them and turned to the two of them. "You would think after more than half a decade that you two would stop picking at each other."

"What!" huffed Caspar, trying to sound scandalized.

"Preposterous!" snapped Malchior with a snigger and turned back to shove his sister again when he spied movement over her shoulder. "Do not say or do anything, but we have company."

Caspar's eyes flashed but she merely twitched her fan in irritation while Balthazar discreetly began to scout their surroundings. She flickered her eyes over to her other brother while drawing her fan up to hide her mouth as she spoke. "How many, Balthazar?"

"I'd hazard a guess at twenty. Maybe less. Prepare for the worst." he answered quietly, his words muffled by his handkerchief.

Caspar's eyes narrowed before she turned with an overjoyed expression to Malchior. "Oh, Malchior, dear brother, I nearly forgot!" she chuckled, reaching into her saddle and pulling a black bundle out of her pack and handing it over to him. "I was bored and knitted this for you! I hope you like it!"

Malchior's mouth twitched knowing his sister's hands had never touched a knitter's needle before in her life. He seen her buy it at the last market place but had said nothing. Now he reached over and twinned the black scarf around his mouth and neck. "How do I look? Dashing, I hope." he teased, waggling his eyebrows at her. She sniggered pressing her fan back to her lips.

"Any good ideas, Malchior?" she asked discreetly.

He smirked behind his scarf knowing she'd given it to him now specifically so their enemies couldn't see his lips move. "A few. You ready?"

"As ever." grunted Balthazar.

"As am I." answered Caspar, her left hand stealing to her one sword on her right as she couldn't drop her fan to grab the left sword without looking more suspicious. "Whenever you're ready, I say we wait for them to strike first."

"Agreed?" huffed Balthazar, lazily gazing at the clouds.

"Agreed." murmured Malchior, beginning to pull his magic into his palm to hide the glow. "Ready..."

"Steady..." chimed Balthazar. As he spoke, bedraggled men and teenaged boys hopped from behind the stones surrounding the road and raced to them, yelling like banshees, shattering the peaceful afternoon silence that had reigned before.

"GO!" hissed Caspar, drawing her sword and stashing her fan into her belt before reaching for her other sword to slash at the oncoming surge of people.

"Yargh!" growled Malchior senselessly as he blasted the young boy and middle aged man at his side with a hot white blast of magic. Caspar lounged out with her blade scoring a slash on her enemy who managed to dance back away from her sword to survive with a mere flesh wound. Balthazar's hand glowed green and he reached out to blast an oncoming foe with his own power when he stopped, eyes widening considerably and drawing back.

"Uncle Wendell!" he shouted in surprise as he gazed at one of his opponents.

The man came up short and stared at him. "What did you say?"

"What was that?" asked Malchior curiously, turning in his saddle along with his sister as the battle drew up short.

"...is that you, uncle?" asked Balthazar, leaning forward in the saddle with wide eyes to stare at the man before him. He was a round, bearded, black skinned man with greys staining his hair. He had the same clear blue color of Balthazar's, along with his siblings, albeit with regular shaped pupils. "It's Balthazar, Tobin's youngest son!"

"I...it can't...little Balthazar...?" gasped the man as tears stung his eyes, reaching out for his nephew. Balthazar was out of his saddle before the others could blink and in the man's arms laughing and crying at the same time.

"I...can't believe it..." murmured Malchior as Caspar nodded in dazed agreement.

"Who'd of thought our Balthazar was a nephew to bandits--!" she barely had a chance to finish her words when suddenly one of the younger men tried to run her through on his blade. "HEY, YOU BLASTED FOOL, WATCH IT!"

"We're no bandits!" hissed the man.

Malchior snorted in disdain. "Not bandits? Then why attack helpless travelers on this road?"

"You're trespassing!" hissed another man.

"No one who goes down this road is _ever_ helpless." sneered another.

"STOP MEN!" bellowed Wendell, letting go of his nephew to snap at the men. Making sure there would be no more outburst he turned back to the three magic users. "Forgive us. We've been ordered by high king Tempest to attack anyone traveling this road. Otherwise, our families would be banished and hunted down."

"Uncle, what about this king!" gasped Balthazar.

"A king ordering his people to attach travelers?" echoed Caspar in confusion, her eyes flashing as she snapped her fan open to hide the lower half of her face.

"Why would the king order such a thing?" asked Malchior, forcing his horse to take a step closer. The men around the two of them stepped back and away from them as Wendell walked closer.

"King Tempest's son, prince Syd, has been trying to claim his rightful place as the heir by sneaking in his soldiers in small groups to ready an army around the castle of his royal pain in the arse. Tempest caught on and orders the villagers to attack travelers to make sure no one comes in."

"Simple peasants against trained soldiers?" huffed Caspar. "How disgraceful, probably just to spare his troops he knows he needs..."

Wendell nodded morosely to her. "Aye, and if we don't, as I said, we get chased down like dogs for sport."

"Uncle, is there anything we can do to help?" asked Balthazar, placing a hand on his uncle's arm.

"Woh, woh, woh! Hold on, let's not get involved in this mess!" hissed Caspar. "We could just make everything worse!"

"As much as I hate to say it, Balthazar, Caspar does has a point." sighed Malchior. Caspar nodded, feeling vindicated. With a sigh, Malchior continued however. "...Unfortunately, Caspar, I took an oath to stop people like this." Caspar began to squawk out a scathing remark before he cut her off. "As did you and Balthazar, right along with me. Have you forgotten? As we watched the castle fall, we swore to put an end to people like those villains."

Snapping her mouth shut, Caspar's eyes flashed dangerously at him and she turned her nose up at him.

Balthazar gave a warm smile that Malchior could barely make out beneath the handkerchief before the young dark boy turned to his uncle once more. "There, you have it, uncle. Malchior, Caspar, and I will help in any way we can."

"I'm not sure what good you can do..." his uncle sighed. "Prince Syd might be on the move but Tempest grows more insane with each passing hour as he trains his men."

"Then--" began Caspar, her eyes thinning as she thought, "--we'll just have to help Prince Syd along quicker than."

_"Wow." whispered Beast Boy. The others nodded in agreement as the scene began to swirl and darken. "Oh, not again!" he howled, covering his eyes. _

_"...many months pass." Mel spoke quietly. "The diary claims that they helped Prince Syd's men hide among the peasants til the prince himself finally comes and joins them on the eve of their attack on the castle." _

When the scene reappeared, Malchior, Balthazar, Caspar, and Balthazar's uncle sit around a fire in a tent. The four of them wait tensely for word of the prince's arrival as they stare into the dancing flames. "He's late." sniped Caspar, snapping her fan open and shut to show her agitation.

Malchior nodding in agreement, quietly cracking his knuckles as he thought. Balthazar merely continued gazing at the flames, looking all for the world lost in his thoughts though Malchior would bet his diary that the boy's mind was zooming at a mile a minute as he thought. Trying to detach himself from the tense air, sighed and began to practice his magics. He called forth a small glob of green magic, letting it grow and shrink on a whim as it caught Caspar's attention to where she finally stopped snapping her fan.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea-" she began but she was interrupted as the sounds of footsteps neared the tent. "...who's there?" she asked quietly, snapping her fan open once more.

Pulling the flap of the tent back, Malchior peered upon a beardless youth as he entered the tent. He was dressed in simple but sturdy clothes though any could tell that was royal or at least noble with a large amount of lessons of grace and posture shoved into his spine and his walk. He had sandy curls and pale green eyes as he viewed the four people in the tent. Balthazar's uncle jumped to his feet and welcomed him as Prince Syd.

Malchior instantly hated him as he spied his sister's eyes fixate keenly on the prince's form. "Evening, your highness."

"And good eve to you, fair lady." he returned with a nod. "I'm Prince Syd. I've heard it's to you that I owe thanks for your efforts to help me and my people."

"Prince Syd, may I introduce my nephew, the magi Balthazar," started Wendell, gesturing to each of them. "His brother in arms, the magi Malchior, and their sister in power, the Lady Caspar."

"Charmed." chirped Caspar as she shut her fan. Balthazar traded looks with a rather steamed Malchior when they saw the prince's obvious approval of their sister. Balthazar had long known of Malchior's affection to their sister of magic, and knew that Caspar at least would have none of him. His sympathy was with his brother but he knew that he would have to get along with this Prince if they were to get anything done to help his uncle and people.

"Now, my friends," began Prince Syd, "please come with me, and we shall lay the final touches to our plan of battle against my father with my advisors." Balthazar slowed eased himself up as Malchior jerkily stood and Caspar rose elegantly up.

Raising a brow, Balthazar couldn't help but notice how much effort Caspar was putting into charming the handsome young prince as his brother fumed like a raging volcano, bursting to blow his top.

_"The battle took place the next day without hitch as the diary says." narrated Mel. "In the end, Syd trounced his father, and took his place as king...and then..." she dwindled off looking haunted as the scene began to change once more. Robin turned to Mel. _

_"And then what?" _

_"...and then he asked Caspar to marry him." she finished. _

_"WHAT!" yelled Cyborg. "After one night, he decides to propose!" _

_"Dude, olden times are weird." snorted Beast Boy. _

_"Friend Mel, surely the Caspar did not agree to this?" asked Starfire. _

_"...I'm afraid she did." sighed Mel. _

_Raven bit her lip and wondered just how much it destroyed Malchior to hear such a thing._ Betrayed once again, eh, Malchior? _she thought wistfully._

The scene quickly reordered itself. Malchior and Balthazar stood with their sister in front of the castle, reigns in hands as she stood away from them, her fan once more stowed into her belt. "Well, brothers, I suppose this is where we part." she said with a slight smile. Already, upon her left hand's ring finger a silver ring glistened in the sunshine. Malchior avoided it's glare like the plague.

"Yes." agreed Balthazar for him. "I hope you'll be happy for all eternity, my sister."

She smiled widely, swelling with pride.

"Please come visit me whenever you can." she urged them.

_Never. Never, not even in a million years. _hissed a voice in the back of his head. Instead he nodded and mounted up along with his brother. "...goodbye...Caspar..."

"Farewell!" she called after them as they turned and took off down the road.

They rode for quite some time, Malchior lost in his thoughts all the while. Actually, that was wrong. His mind was mercifully blank from thoughts as he rode hard. He was so distracted he hadn't realized Balthazar had stopped galloping for some time before he turned around and looked. Malchior spied his brother, atop his horse, twisted half about to stare back the way they had come. For a moment, a deep sickening sense of foreboding turned Malchior's stomach before he called after his brother. "Balthazar!"

Finally, his brother turned back to him with a wistful look in his eyes and Malchior wished he could hide from the world in a deep hole somewhere. "Malchior...I'm going back."

"...why?" he asked pitifully.

"...I want to be with my family. My father's family." he tacked on quickly but the damage was done. Malchior turned about in his saddle to not have to look at his brother.

"Then go." he hissed chillingly. For a moment, Balthazar reached out for him before stopping and sighing as he turned around and rode back.

The scene began to mist slightly at the edges as time passed. Hours apparently later, Malchior slipped down and walked off into the hills for a moment. Then a loud scream turned roar ripped the night as his magic flared wildly into the night.

_"Oh no..." whispered Starfire in sympathy. "That is far too cruel!"_

_"Malchior..." moaned Raven as she felt her heart ache for him. "Always he is betrayed by the ones he loves." _

_Mel quietly nodded. "Apparently it is his fate." she whispered. _

_"What?" asked Robin, turning back to the diva. _

_"...watch." she answered simply._


	8. My Doom

**Two chapters at once, since you all waited so long.**

---------------

Malchior quietly sighed as he walked down the street, munching on an apple he'd just swiped while the seller's back was turned. It wasn't like there wasn't dozens more in stock, he rationalized to himself. As he continued walking as he continued on.

It had been many months since he and his siblings had parted ways. Thinking of them still made his hackles rise and his heart ache, so he did his best to avoid all thought of them. This had led him to wander far from any place he and his siblings had once visited together, making him press father than he ever had. Sometimes as he walked, through towns he wondered if perhaps once a upon a time if his own wandering mother had traveled these streets.

That week had landed in a little hovel of a town, barely big enough to spit in without landing outside the reach of the houses. As he wandered he became so caught up in his thoughts that he actually walked straight into a racing youth as they slammed together.

"Off!" his Malchior as he landed on his backside. The youth also landed on his backside. Growling to himself, he sat up to tell the boy off just as the other boy did.

_**"HEY, WATCH WHERE** you're..._" the two of them stared in unison and stopped dead as they looked at each other.

It was like looking in a mirror, Malchior marveled as he looked at the boy in front of him. The boy couldn't have been younger or older than him by much, though a tad rougher around the ends. Even their butchered hairstyles were exact in detail as they peered at each other. The only way to tell them apart, he realized, was by the other's black eyes. It took him a moment to remember once his eyes too had been that exact shade of ebony. "Who are you...?" he gasped.

"I could ask the same of you, sir..." gaped the boy. Then he blinked, looked back the way he came and yelped before grabbing Malchior's arm, hauled him up and ran in the opposite way Malchior had been going. "Run!"

"Why!" yelled Malchior but obeyed quickly when he saw some soldiers come bursting around the corner. "By the magics, what did you do!"

"I just tried to practice my magic!" blurted the boy as they ran. Malchior glanced suspiciously--first, the identical features, now this boy had magic as well?--but began to lead the boy to where he had roped his horse. Untying the reigns, the two jumped on the horse and fled.

"Just who are you?" asked the boy, hours later as they got off the horse to spare it their weight. Malchior clutched the reigns in his hand and raised a brow at the other boy.

"Malchior of Nall." he answered. "Son of the great Magi, and Magi now with his siblings in power, at your service. Now who are you?"

The boy goggled at him. "Rorek." he said finally. "You...I've heard of you. You're famous."

"Well, glad to know that I'm so well known."

"I'd thought you'd be taller."

Malchior flinched but sighed. He seemed to be getting that more and more as he was recognized more often. "Well," trying to change the topic, "what do you suppose this means." he asked, gesturing to their near identical faces. Rorek screwed up his face and thought.

"I have no idea. I was born the son of a violent drunkard. I didn't know much about my family really."

"Well," Malchior said with a grin, "I know of one way to find out if _this-"_ he said, gesturing to both of their faces meaning their near identical features, "-is really true." Rorek lifted a brow but said nothing as Malchior reached into the pack at his side and withdrew a long blade.

"Just what are you going-" he stopped and gasped as Malchior slashed his palm deeply, biting nearly to the bone. "Hey, careful! "

Malchior snorted before handing the blade to Rorek while presenting him with his palm-the wound was already half healed. "Don't worry; I'm a fast healer."

Rorek rolled his eyes and quickly, but lightly, slashed his hand. "Now what?"

"Give me your hand-" Malchior started, lifting his hand up. Rorek stalled for a moment before slowly joining hands, palm to palm. "And watch! **Reveal!"**

Rorek gasped as light fought it's way out of the crevices of their hands. He watched them go up and up into the night's sky. Distantly he heard Malchior chuckled and he returned his gaze to his doppelganger. "Malchior...what does this mean?"

"This means..." he stopped as if to savor the words. "...that we're brothers."

"_What!" shouted Beast Boy, reeling back in shock. "No way!"_

_"Rorek...is Malchior's brother!" Raven gasped. "Mel, what does this mean!"_

_She whirled to stare at the diva; Mel stared at the image before them before sighing and turning to them. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure you would believe me. Malchior and Rorek **are** brothers...we've traced back the lineage until we found that Malchior and Rorek's parents split up, the Magi taking Malchior and their father taking Rorek. We couldn't find a reason for the split but the two of them never met again." she answered finally._

_"But Raven told us that Rorek was the one to seal Malchior into the book. So why did he seal him-" began Robin before Mel caught him off._

_"You'll see." she answered. "I swear it. Just keep watching."_

_They turned back to see that the scene had changed again._

"Brother, why am I getting armor with a giant 'M' on it?" asked Rorek lightly, as a smithy took his measurements. Malchior, who was sitting across from him on a high stool looking devious and amused, grinned at him.

"Because I'm paying for it." he snorted but then gave him the real answer. "Because then people will confuse together--your enemies won't know who to strike. When they hesitate, we can get an attack going by then."

"And if they don't hesitate?"

"That's what the armor's for, Rorek." he grinned.

_Again the scene changed, the world seeming to spin around them once more._

_"Ugh." muttered Starfire, holding her stomach. "My friends, I'm afraid that my nine stomachs can not take much more of this..."_

_"Oh, you and me both, Starfire." groaned Beast Boy. "Just minus the nine stomachs for one."_

The two brothers rode down the road through a steep gorge, chattering quietly to themselves. Rorek held a book in one hand and his reigns in the other; Malchior, at his side, sharping a blade, precariously gripping the horse with his legs and giving his full attention to the task at hand. Rorek raised a brow at his brother. "Malchior, are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"Course it is." he snorted back at him. "I can do this easily."

Rorek frowned but shrugged in irritation. "Do what you want then."

Malchior glared and was about to say something when he looked up. "Rorek, jump!" he ordered, shooting from his saddle, spooking the horse. Rorek blinked and looked up. What he saw made him drop his book into the dust and leap away; high above him, lining the ridges of the gorge hung bandits. Magic began to swirl around his hands just like Malchior's as the bandits jumped for them.

_It was hard to see through the fray to try and find the two brothers as they fought and it gave the Titans and Mel no small trouble._

_"Dude, what the heck!" snapped Beast Boy. "I can't see any-stupid-thing!"_

_"Where are they?" asked Starfire, trying to look through the dust and the swell of bodies racing into the gorge._

_There was a loud beep and Cyborg pointed them out. "There-on the ridge!" he shouted pointing up._

"Jump!" shouted Malchior, leaping upward and scrambling up the rocks. Rorek was right behind him as he fought to escape the gorge with their lives. "Don't fall behind me, Rorek!" he snapped, racing on. Behind him, Rorek panted and spat something before gasping.

The rock beneath his hand gave way before he could shout to his brother for help and he fell hard back into the arms and reach of the bandits.

High above him, Malchior scrambled onto the top of the rocks. What he saw there made his stomach twist; the bandits surrounded him on all sides, grinning as they held their weapons aloft and pointed straight at him. "Well, damn." he growled. White hot magic swirling in his palms, he held himself ready to put up a fight. "You want me? Come get me!"

"Gladly!" snapped one of the bandits as they charged. They fell on him, pressing him hard until he blasted them back. One of the bandits yelled and swung at him with a nail studded mace.

What happened next appeared to happen in slow motion; as the mace came down, Malchior sidestepped and lunged forward, swinging his magicked fist forward it connected with the bandit's stomach with a sickening crunch.

And went through.

Malchior tugged his fist free, letting the body fall to his side. The other bandits gaped and stepped back. Malchior, for his part, looked up at them with a deadly glare, his irises slit til a paper thin width. With a yell, he let his other fist and blasted an entire group with his magic. Before the other bandits could get away, he took a deep breath, his chest swelling, and breathed fire on the rest, incinerating them to a crisp.

_"Oh, yeah." groaned Beast Boy. "That does it." He turned and retched to his side._

_Raven couldn't help but feel her stomach turn as well at the sight. "He just--all of them--he--"_

_"Malchior..." started Mel. "Did what he needed to do. Well, what he felt he needed to do to protect himself and Rorek."_

_"Where is Rorek?" asked Beast Boy, recovering._

Malchior snorted in annoyance. "Think you can hurt me?" he growled, before snorting smoke from his nostrils. "I think not, eh, Ror--Rorek!" he shouted, realizing for the first time that his brother wasn't at his side. He whirled around looking over the edge. "Rorek!" he shouted as he saw him.

Rorek had fought quite a few of the bandits himself but they were pressing hard agianst him--Rorek, it seemed unlike his brother, was careful with his blasts and aimed not to kill any of the bandits. Malchior snorted at him, didn't his brother know that the only safe enemy was a dead one? With a growl, he leaped down to help his brother, burning the bandits with little care. Rorek gasped as he saw his brother kill three of the bandits with little regard as he walked through the group, burning any who got in his way it seemed as if he strolled through them as if walking through a park. With ease, Malchior killed, sending the remaining bandits running.

"Cowards!" he crowed after them, before turning to his brother. "Rorek, you alright?"

Rorek more or less fell, sitting down hard on the rocky ledge. Malchior looked him other, seeing no wounds that were a serious concern. "Y-you just killed them...like they were nothing..."

Malchior snorted, seeing his brother was fine he went to look for his bags. Grunting when he found only the bag with his diary and writing supplies, he turned back to Rorek. "They were nothing. They were just bandits, Rorek, nothing more. C'mon, I saw some ruins of a castle where we can sleep for the night." With that, he began the long walk to the castle leaving Rorek sitting on the sharp rocks in the gorge before finally pulling himself up and began to walk behind hs brother.

With a little bit, the two brothers saw a battered looking castle in ruins on a ledge over looking the sea. Malchior gave it an appraising look before shrugging and walking forward into the ruins. "Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. C'mon, Rorek, let's see if we can find a suitable place to sleep."

"...no."

Malchior blinked and turned to his brother. The white haired sorcerer's fists were shaking along with his shoulders, his head bowed.

"...Come again, Rorek?" he asked quietly, unsure what to say. He had never seen a very angry Rorek but he was a bit worried they would end up in a terrible fight. "Something amiss?"

"Amiss? Amiss, he says!" roared Rorek in a rage. Malchior blinked and took a slow step backward. "As if killing dozens of people weren't something _amiss_." he hissed. Malchior quirked a brow but hid a smile beneath his scarf.

"Is that what this is about?" he chuckled quietly. "Brother, don't worry. _People _like them only hurt others, good innocent people. If they hadn't hurt someone already then we stopped them early. And if they had, well, revenge for the poor souls." He immediately began to turn and walk forward and search about. "Bandits live only to hurt others. When I take control, I'll make sure to put a stop to them. No innocent will ever have to worry will walking down a dark road."

"...take control?" echoed Rorek.

Malchior flinched. _Damn_, he thought to himself,_ I wasn't going to mention that til I was really sure of him. Well, Rorek's got a good head on his shoulders. I'm sure he'll understand..._ With a sigh, Malchior stopped and looked over his shoulder at his brother. "Rorek...it's a long story. I don't want to talk about it tonight."

"Bullshit!"

Malchior blinked and looked at his brother with a wide eyed expression. He had never heard the mild mannered Rorek _swear_ before.

"Malchior, tell what you're planning!" he shouted, marching up closer. "What did you mean_ "taking control"_?"

"Rorek, not tonight." he sighed wearily. "Let's just sleep, brother." he told him before turning about again and began to walk forward again.

He was a good distance away from his brother when he felt something white hot sing over his shoulder and obliterate a large piece of fallen rubble. Uncomprehending, he stared at the rock before slowly looking over his shoulder. Rorek stood, legs parted and one hand uplifted and still smoking. "Don't call me that. No _**brother** _of mine would kill people and try and take over anything." he snapped. Malchior stood there looking over his shoulder before he finally found his voice.

"Rorek...what?" he gasped. He stood there, eyes slitted paper thin.

"You heard me!" he snapped. "I don't know why you would even think about killing people but I won't let you hurt anyone else!" he crowed, magic swirling into his palm again.

_Hurt anyone else...don't know why...no brother of mine..._ Malchior's thought echoed with his brother's words before he realized his brother was preparing to strike again. _He's going to kill me...Betrayed...Betrayed again...I'm always being betrayed...first mother, then Caspar, then Balthazar...and now Rorek..._

_...No more._ he thought quietly, a snarl sketching onto his face. _I won't be betrayed again! Even if I must be the betrayer, never again!_

"You have the audacity to attack me, Rorek? My own brother?" he shouted spinning around to face him.

"Stop saying that!" screamed Rorek and shot the blast at him. Malchior's eyes bled red and he transformed.

_"S-so...that's it then..." gasped Raven. "That's why Rorek and Malchior fought...because he betrayed him..."_

'I won't be betrayed again! Even If I must be the betrayer-' _echoed in her head. _'-be the betrayer-'

_"Does..." began Starfire, uncertain. "Does this mean that Malchior betrayed Raven because he was trying to protect himself?"_

_"...Yes." answered Mel. "...there's your reason, Raven...I'm sorry..."_

_None of the Titans said a word as the battle raged before them. Raven watched as the battle took place, realizing Malchior hadn't exaggerated much of the fight. Then as she watched Rorek begin to try and place Malchior in the book, a white hot rage boiled in her belly._

_"That...that-!" she started, shaking like a leaf with rage._

_"Raven...?" began Robin, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, she snapped._

_"THAT FUCKING COWARD!" she screamed. "HE FUCKING BETRAYED **ME** BECAUSE HE WAS TOO GOD DAMN AFRAID TO TRUST ANYONE!"_

_The rest of the Titans and Mel stared as she screamed her lungs out._

_"That asshole! He betrayed me to protect himself when-when-when...I wouldn't have betrayed him! He ruined everything because he was a coward!" she finished with a scream and sank down so that she landed hard on her behind. "That asshole...he...he...I would have never...I...I...really...really..." she gasped through her tears. "I **really **liked him...he...I...I lo--..." She couldn't finish. How could she now, even when she had discovered the reason of his betrayal, when he was the one to ruin everything they had?_

How can I _**still** _love him? _she thought to herself._

_Quietly at first, a soft _crick-crick-**crack** _was heard. Then before anyone could speak, the ground beneath them shattered like a glass window pane and they fell through._

_"AAAAAAAaaa_aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" yelled Beast Boy before he landed solidly on his butt. "Ouch, man, what the heck?"

"Dude, a little warning next time, please." grunted Cyborg as he got off the marble floors of Mel's mansion.

"Sorry." groaned Mel as she picked herself up. Starfire and Robin helped Raven to stand up neither saying much. Mel spared them a look before quietly handing Malchior's book over to Raven. "Here, I believe this is your's..." With a silent and straight face, Raven accepted the book. Mel sighed, feeling a bit guilty about the sorrow and tension that could clearly be read in the half demon's posture. "Well, I suppose now the only thing you need to know is Caspar's plans..."

That caught the attention of the Titans. "What?" ground out Raven, extremely disliking what Mel could be meaning.

Mel sighed and drew herself up to her full height, drawing on her strength to speak. "As Caspar's heir I was told her plans when I became an essential component. Mainly meaning, when I was told to contact you and distract you as my ancestor put her finishing touches on her plans."

"Mel..." began Robin. "What is Caspar planning?"

"..." Mel tried to give Raven her most sincerely sympathetic look. "Caspar plans to release Malchior."

"No..." gasped Raven, staggering and almost landing on the ground.


	9. Duel on the Rocks

_"Mel..." began Robin. "What is Caspar planning?"_

_"..." Mel tried to give Raven her most sincerely sympathetic look. "Caspar plans to release Malchior."_

_"No..." gasped Raven, staggering and almost landing on the ground._

"WHAT!" snapped Beast Boy. "What do you mean she's going to release him!" he gaped at her, pointing his finger angrily in her face. "I thought she hated him! And what do you mean distract us!"

"Yes, Friend Mel, please explain!" cried Starfire, pressing close to the diva. Mel stepped back away from the alien and gently removed the hand from her face. She sighed and turned to look at the large twining mural on the wall.

"I'm Caspar's heir. I have no choice but to follow her directions. She hasn't explained all her reasons to me but..." she stopped, looking back over her shoulder sorrowfully at Raven. "But...I fear for Malchior's life if Caspar can release him."

"What do you mean?" asked Robin, taking a step closer to the heir as Cyborg place a comforting hand on Raven's shaking shoulder.

"I mean, I believe she plans to kill him." she clarified. "Caspar herself may not adore this world but as she has quite a few descendants--this mural only displays the one's of the "purest" descent, the most direct descendants--and more than enough power, she hoards it to herself and will eliminate anything that threatens her, her family, or power." she stated. "As we speak, she's completing whatever ritual she needs to, to use the Herald's trumpet to release Malchior."

"Caspar has the Herald's trumpet!" gasped Cyborg. "How?"

Mel finally turned fully about and spoke. "Simple. Caspar paid a thief to steal it, though he almost caught the thief in the act and the thief put the Herald in the hospital." she stopped as if remembering some detail she'd forgotten to mention. "I believe it's a hospital right outside of Steel City if I'm correct." she said at last. Robin blinked and reached for his communicator--he at the very least could have a member of Titans East check up on the poor guy if they could. Mel waited until he was done talking--to Bumble Bee, who promised to head right over and check on him--before continuing.

"Mel," started Robin, "where is Caspar now?"

Mel shrugged. "Probably half through the spell." she told them but quickly continued before they snapped at her. "It's some distance from here. Off the coast."

"We should hurry and stop the Caspar before she releases Malchior and vanquishes him!" said Starfire. "We cannot allow such a thing to happen if we can stop it!"

"She's right."

The titans and Mel turned to stare at Raven, who was finally composed as she wrenched her hood on. She turned to the group. "We have to stop her." From releasing Malchior or killing him, she didn't clarify but they didn't bother to ask her to. "C'mon, let's **_go_**." she demanded, already beginning to shine as she called on her power.

Before Raven could teleport her and the Titans away, Mel called out to her. "Raven!"

Raven stopped for a moment and turned to the heir. "What?" she snapped impatiently.

Mel hesitated only a moment, sorrow and guilt written on her face. "Raven, if Malchior is released before you can stop Caspar, please, don't let her kill him and...tell him...that he'll always have a home here in this place should he ever need it." she asked beseechingly. Raven stared at her a moment dumbstruck.

"Dude, couldn't that get you in trouble?" asked Beast Boy, uncertain.

"He's right, Mel, if Caspar finds out about you doing something to help the dude she's killing, I doubt she'll be happy." agreed Cyborg. Mel spared them a melancholy look.

"I'll get in a shit load of trouble probably." she snorted unmercifully. "But...Caspar rules our house with an iron fist. I'm not the first to go against her wishes, I've heard of her punishments. Me being the heir will mean little in the long run, in fact many will probably be happy since it gives them or their children the chance to take my spot. ...I...my family...the power of the dragon has become inbred and infected with greed, and that's why am the heir."

The titans shared a look of confusion. What did her family have to do with it along with her place as the heir?

"Friend Mel, I'm confused..." started Starfire.

"If you're the least powerful then why are you the heir?" Raven cut in, advancing on the diva.

"...because I'm the least powerful, I do not hunger like my relations do for more power. I'm the black sheep, the rebel, a sheep among wolves." she explained. "I can view the problems of our house without their power hunger tainting my eyes. And so...I can see the corruption of my family, the decay. Which is why I want to help Malchior, you see..." she grinned at him. "...I want to truly meet Malchior, to see if he also can see this rot of my bloodline. Please, Titans, help him and tell him of this place should he ever need a home."

For a moment Raven gave her an uncertain glare before finally nodding.

"Alright then, Titans, we got go stop Caspar!" commanded Robin to his teammates sounds of agreements. Mel waved goodbye to the Titans as Raven teleported them away, before allowing her hand to fall to her side.

"You can come out now, Red X." she called over her shoulder. Behind the sound of his teleporter fizzled into existence and he stepped next to her side.

"You told them everything?" he asked her disapprovingly.

"Yes, but nothing pertaining to your involvement if you're really worried." she told him airily. "I'll bear any consequences due to my actions. So," she began as she turned to him, "why are you still here? Didn't Caspar pay you enough for your "_services_"?"

"Quite the contrary." he told her, giving her the vague suspicion he was grinning beneath that skull mask. "I'm here for the fun."

"Ah. _Fun_." she repeated in the same airy voice. "Well, I just hope this "fun" doesn't get out of hand, I don't want to regret this experience."

"You sound as if you've already started to regret it." he jibbed at her.

"Quite the contrary." she quipped, repeating his words. "I haven't, and as I see it the "fun" has merely begun." He snorted at her words but went silent anyway.

---------------

Caspar flipped through her tome's torn pages, before finding the page she wanted. Taking a candle from the tall candle holder, one of six she had placed in a circle, and began to pour the dripping wax against the flat stone she stood upon, jutting out into the sea. She traced a six pointed star out on the ground, careful not to disturb the wax with the hem of her skirt or the heels of her boots, all the while chanting in a whispered language.

When she completed her task, she replaced the candle back upon it's holder. Her chanting's decibels began to rise as she placed the Herald's trumpet in the middle of the star. Her hand began to glow white as she chanted, the trumpet itself taking on the same hue as the magic swirling around her outstretched hand.

"Almost done, Malchior." she whispered, pausing in the incantation. "And when you're free..."

A loud voice stopped her before she could finish her words. "--it's not going to matter whether or not he's free, Caspar, cause we're going to stop you!"

Her hand stilled and she let the magic retreat back into her hand as she paused to look over her shoulder at the voice. What she saw made her raise a brow, _so now the Teen Titans were here?_ _Not to be unsuspected_ she thought. "Oh?" she called out. "And you're to stop me...how?" They began to make a quick charge at her, blasts, magic, discs, and talons shooting towards her. She wasted no time as she made a sweeping gesture, palm pointing out, with her arm as a green shield surrounded her and her spot as she worked on her spell.

She watched for a moment as they tossed themselves at her shield before she felt confident they couldn't break it--at least not in time to stop her--she turned and picked back up on her chant.

Raven let a growl of frustration as she slammed another blast of magic at the green dome protecting the dragon clan leader. No matter what they tossed it, the shield held firm and solid. Pausing a moment, she watched Caspar's movements become more hurried and feverish as she chanted; _she must be getting near the end--what spell is she using?_

Caspar ignored the Titans as they still tried to take down her shield, concentrating her power on the spell she was weaving. A smirk appeared on her lips and she set the tome aside, using both her hands to finish the spell. **_"Tacorm nosea-el. Macornum tayleson diprotutum sa ser! Rotenel, Rotenel, ROTENEL!"_** she finished at last as the Herald's trumpet began to shine with a bright white light.

Finally pausing in their assault, the Titans could only watch in horror as the trumpet seemed to burst with white light blasting a loud, strong note of music into the air, opening a wide portal above. For a moment there was nothing. Then all at once a light shone from the portal itself and Raven felt her knees go watery as Malchior's head, body, wings, and tail shot out of the portal as he let out a loud roar. The shield around them expanded to enclose the dragon before he landed in front of Caspar.

Malchior's form glowed green once before shrinking and transforming into the human version of Malchior.

"Malchior." greeted Caspar in a cool, clipped tone.

"...sister?" he asked, shocked to see her. "You've released me...how did you-?" he began, making to move closer to her. Caspar's thinned quickly and he blinked in shock as she slightly crouched down.

Robin quickly deduced what was happening. "She's going to attack!" Malchior seemed too caught up in his shock to have heard so Raven did the only thing she could think: scream her head off at him.

**_"Malchior, look out!"_** she shouted so loud she could have sworn she heard her own ears ringing. But it did seem to break through his confusion and jumped backward as a strange white glowing sword of light formed in Caspar's left hand. The two dragons' eyes met and Malchior's mouth formed a nearly perfect _"o". _Caspar's pupils thinned to mere paper thin slits and she formed another sword in her other hand. Malchior blinked and jumped again as his sister swung once more at his head.

"Caspar, what are you-"

"Malchior," she interrupted him, "I must ask you to do one thing."

"What?" he gasped, taking a step back.

"Malchior..." she began before straightening up and swinging her light rapier to point dead at him. "It has been many, many years since you were sealed and the world has changed. To survive, me and my family has changed with it and if you were to ever threaten my family..." she trailed off before pinning him with a particularly vicious glare. "Give up your dreams to rule this world or I will kill you!"

"...what...?" he whispered as he watched her glare and begin to swing her blade once more. This time, he formed his own blade and caught her sword against his. "Caspar, what are you saying! Sister, you and I swore-"

"Forget the damn oath, Malchior, or you won't live to regret it!" she snarled and tried to stab him with the tip of the other rapier. He jumped away and landed a higher rock. When he moved the entire shield went after him to keep him enclosed; he viewed this warily but had to jump higher again this time onto a tall ledge above him to avoid Caspar's sword.

"Caspar, what do you mean! I don't want to hurt you-!"

"-No need to worry about that," she hissed, lunging forward once more. "it's not like you could ever defeat me-!"

He caught her sword again, above their heads. Caspar grit her teeth as Malchior's hair fell over his eyes, hiding his sight from her. Suddenly, he shifted his weight and tossed her back a few steps. As she regained her footing, he brought up his sword point at her.

"-_but that doesn't mean I won't_." he spoke quietly, barely above a whisper.

"Malchior, give up the oath!" she demanded again.

"I will _not!"_ he snapped finally at her. "What was wrong with it, we only wanted to correct all of the vile things that were happening to us-!"

"Times have changed, Malchior, but you have not! Your dream has no place in this world now, this place without true magic! Brother, you must give it up!" she demanded again. "Give it up, Malchior!"

"Never!" he snarled and they begun to fight with their swords fast and furiously. They swung, parried, and lunged with such ferocity and speed that the swords were blurs as they began to move faster and much more recklessly with each move. It became apparent that Malchior was on the losing end of the battle as Caspar wore him down though she seemed not much better off.

"Malchior!" she hissed, once more trying to talk to him. "Give up the dream, damnit!"

_"NO!"_

"Malchior, damnit, the dream is no longer sane in this world! You've twisted it around so, it's become nothing more than a nightmare and has made you into a monster!"

For a moment, Malchior paused backing away from his sister, panting hard. Caspar took the opening and began to speak even more to him.

"When you made the oath, you made it to try and help those who were crushed by the feet of the overbearing but you have now become that which you used to hate!" she spoke fast, nearly as fast as she had swung her sword. "Malchior, you have become strong but you have trampled on the defenseless to get there!"

"I-_no_, I only-!" he tried to defend himself but she advanced once more.

"Malchior, give it up! I had to long ago, I had to, to merely try and help those I swore to help! When I ruled I had to get rid of those who would have tried to have stop me just as you did. But I didn't do it in the name of justice, they are my sins, Malchior, and you must face them or be swallowed alive by them!" she spoke to him. "Give up the oath, can't you seen what've you done already for the sake of your _'just dream'?"_ she cried and Raven realized she was pointing straight down at her.

Hesitantly, Malchior turned and looked over his shoulder down to her and for the first time in a very _very_ long time their eyes met. They looked at each other, Raven's eyes stinging and his perfectly blank. Then slowly turned back to his sister, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

"Malchior! Give it up!" she snarled one last time.

_"NO!"_ he screamed, and swung his blade blindly at hers. She swung to blade in her left hand to meet it and for a moment both blades held together before they both burst into blaze of light. Caspar swung her other blade around to and sliced the handkerchief right off his face, splitting it down the middle from his chin to his nose.

"..."

"I..." he began quietly. "...I...won't..."

"..."

"...take over this world."

They stayed like that for a moment before he backed away and disappeared in a flash.

"...um...what just happened?" asked Beast Boy quietly, lost just like the rest of them.

"I...think he gave up." guessed Robin, taking a step forward.

Caspar finally brought her sword down and sighed before hopping down and landing back to where she had first cast the spell. She picked up the trumpet and after a moment's worth of study, tossed it at them and Starfire snatched it from the air. Caspar looked out to sea a moment before turning back to them.

"...Is there some way in which I can help you?" she asked, with a serene look on her face as if she hadn't just fought her brother nearly to the death.

"Dude, what's going on!" snapped Beast Boy, pointing indignantly at her. She looked nonplused and merely blinked at him before bringing out her fan and snapping it open.

"My brother and I came to an agreement." she informed them imperiously. She had quite an affect really, Raven admitted, it almost made you want to listen to her. "As of now, we have come to the conclusion that my brother will cease and desist in any hostilities of any sort. Or suffer the consequences."

"...what did that mean?" asked Beast Boy giving her an odd look.

"It means she told him off and he agreed to not try anything." explained Cyborg.

"Caspar, why did you have Malchior give up his plans for world conquest?" asked Robin seriously.

"Yes, please explain...your ways...they were most confusing." chimed Starfire.

Caspar eyed them quietly before speaking again. "As I said, I must protect my family...besides...I'm tired of cleaning up after him." She didn't bother to explain herself more and instead turned her gaze back towards the sea. "However, Malchior has taken this just about as bad as I feared..." she stalled for a moment and Raven could have sworn that their eyes met. "He's down by the sea side a few miles to the east, if you still want to catch him."

Raven blinked for a moment then teleported after him, leaving her friends to deal with Caspar.

---------------

Raven sucked in a breath as she landed and caught sight of him. Malchior had teleported himself farther from the battlefield than she had thought, now he sat on a rock on a barren ledge overlooking the sea. Carefully, she walked forward stopping just short of his perch. Frowning, she spoke. "Malchior?"

"...can I be of assistance or were you planning on trying to stash me back in that dimension?" Sighing at his accusatorial tone, she walked around the rock and sat next to him.

_I saw his past, saw all of those betrayals that happened to him, found the reason why he betrayed _**me**_ and I'm still not sympathetic to him. Does that make me a monster or a bitch?_ she thought quietly to herself. She reveled in the emotions swirling in her belly; in truth, she was less sympathetic as **empathetic **to him but still she wasn't that sorry for him. _He made that decision. So why not hate him? He gave into everything that happened and turned on me, and I still don't-._ She frowned. _I can't tell if something's wrong with me or not._

Turning her head to look at him, all her carefully planned speeches fell apart. He wasn't looking at her but out at the sea. _Malchior, do you realize you're nothing but a lost little boy?_ "Malchior?"

"_Yes?"_ he all but snapped at her. _Temperamental little brat boy more like it._

"Don't talk to me like that. I wasn't the one to betray you." she snapped back at him. She watched as he gave a tremendous sigh and place his forehead in his hands.

"Yes, I remember. I was the one doing the betraying, wasn't I?"

"Don't talk, it's my turn now." Raven couldn't help but glare at him. "And yes. Yes, you did. And do you know what? I got to see your diary. I know why you did it." she told him. He stilled but didn't look at her so she went on. "You were afraid, weren't you? You were betrayed by everyone else and so you decided you were going to betray me first before I could betray you."

"In my defense," he sighed, sounding somewhat depressed and amused at the same time. "I wouldn't have attacked first if you hadn't seen the picture change and try to stop my release."

"Shut up." she snorted at him. "I said no talking."

"As you wish." he replied vaguely, sitting back to recline on the back of the rock finally looking at her. Her mouth went dry when their eyes connected so she rushed to speak before she couldn't speak at all.

"You know what Malchior? I wouldn't have betrayed you. You may have thought I would but I wouldn't have." she sighed, resting her elbows against her knees. "I swear it. I hoped that you could of trusted me not to but I know why you couldn't. And Malchior, I want you to know, it's no excuse."

He looked away back to the sea. "I know, I know." He was beginning to sound more and more defeated then ever. "I'm a bad guy, remember? Can't sympathize with a villain because-"

"Damnit, Malchior, I wasn't done yet!" she snapped, glaring at him and sitting up straight. He practically jumped and looked back into her eyes. She could feel them watering and prayed she wouldn't cry. "It's no excuse, but, damnit, I forgave you anyway!"

Her words produced a rather funny effect in Malchior; he goggled at her, looking at her as if she had grown another head.

_"I--you--what?"_ he asked confused, caught off guard. He practically slipped off the side of the rock. _This_, she thought,_ is kinda funny. I like it, being the one to surprise him. It's a nice change. I could learn to like being on even footing with him._

"I forgave you." she repeated, slower for him. Malchior gaped at her.

"Did I **drive **you mad, because I'm not sure if I should be sorry or not..."

"Oh, _thanks_, Malchior." she snorted at him, a small grin playing on her lips. She turned her face to the sea but watched out of the corner of her eyes as he pulled himself back up, giving her something of a stupefied look but with the way the fabric of his handkerchief pulled--_how did he get a new handkerchief so quickly anyway?--_ she could see he was smiling. With a stumped "huh" he turned to look with her.

They sat there together, neither speaking, until the sun set. He then quietly stood. She watched him with confused but sadden eyes.

"Malchior?" she asked him quietly.

"I...guess I'll be going now." he told her, turning away back to where the mainland was.

"To where? A place to do more "bad guy" stuff?"

"Heh, no." this time he snorted at her. "I promised I wouldn't do that anymore or my sister will stick me back into that damn universe again; that or kill me, probably both."

"You told her you wouldn't take over the world." she pointed out. He shrugged.

"Yes well, good point." he chuckled. "But still...I think I'll take a vacation for a bit. See where I end up."

"If...if you ever need a place to go, come ask me." she offered to him.

"Is that giant hole still in the roof? Maybe I'll come in through there." he laughed. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"_No_. And don't put another in there. You can learn to knock." she told him in a huff. He laughed at her again. "Oh, and before I forget, I girl named Mel says you can stay with her too...she's Caspar's heir...but I think you'd two should at least met once."

"Hmm, no one's told _me_ what to do in a while." he snickered. He began to walk away, heading away from her and her perch on the rock. "And Raven?"

"Yes?" she called after him. She had to strain to hear it but it made her smile.

"Thank you...maybe one day...we'll learn how to be friends."

_Oh, Malchior, I don't know if I can _just_ be friends with you._ she thought to herself before teleporting herself home.

---------------

"I got a call about a delivery-?" asked Raven, resting against the counter of the post office. An unamused and bored looking woman snorted but eventually shoved a square shaped package into her arms. Rolling her eyes at the brisk treatment, she teleported inside the office to ruffle the woman's feathers and reappeared inside her room in the tower.

She sucked in her breath as she sat on her bed before tearing open the package after she'd seen the return address. _Louisiana!_ she thought excitedly, remembering a certain diva and her certain uncle. Though she hadn't ever had heard from Mel that Malchior was living with his "niece" she had hoped he was somewhere she could find him.

Ripping the brown packaging paper away, Raven couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed and confused when all she discovered was a cd. Frowning at first then smiling softly, she realized that Mel had sent her new cd. Flipping it over, she browsed the titles.

_--Mare del Drago--_

_1.) Mare del Drago 4:43 min_

_2.) Disperato 3:53 min_

_3.) Bevendo alla Mezzanotte 3:27 min_

_4.) Not my kind of town 2:25 min_

_5.) Take Off Your Hats (And Kick Off Your Boots) 3:51 min_

_6.) March Off to Your Doom (Accompanied by the St. Elias' High School Choir) 4:21 min_

_7.) If I'd Never Knew You (Duet with Hero Cruz) 4:43 min (Remade with Permission())_

_8.) Dial H for a Hero (Duet with Vicki Grant) 5:33 min_

Raven felt her eyebrows go up as she read the titles and they had practically disappeared into her hairline as she finished reading. Smiling some what indulgently, she pried the cd out of the case and placed it in her cd player. Sitting back on the bed, she slipped the cd booklet from the case and casually glanced at the acknowledgments and legal mumbo jumbo before landing on a page with song dedications.

"..._For Rae, who..."_

She blinked and reread the line again. It was the dedication for _If I'd Never Knew You_ and she gaped at the words beneath it.

_"For Rae, who I think might understand what I mean by this."_

Scowling in confusion, Raven used her powers to fast forward to the song. Waiting for the ancient cd player to kick on, she glanced through more of the booklet. Gazing at the pictures, she gasped at two pictures in particular.

One was a typical picture in a cd booklet-Mel herself, sitting on a porch swing that Raven recognized at Mel's home, gazing out beyond her shoulder into the distance. What had caught her attention was what was in Mel's hand-only one who could recognize a Teen Titan's communicator on sight would have seen the one in Mel's hand, her fingers curled loosely around the device. Raven gave an astonished laugh at the picture before looking directly across from it--and her heart stopped.

Startling her from her thoughts for a moment, the song finally kicked on. Mel's voiced rang from the speakers surprising her.

"_If I never knew you, if I never felt this love_

_I would have no inkling of how precious life can be_

_And if I never held you, I would never had a clue_

_How at last I find in you, the missing part of me."_

Letting her eyes fall back to the paper, Raven's gaze fell upon the picture once more. It was a picture of Mel and Malchior, sitting in the library, pouring over an old looking book. Mel seemed to be reading as Malchior pointed something out to her. He looked devilishly handsome-his face, for once, was unhidden, showing off his full features. His nose was a bit pert, his upper lip darker and fuller than the bottom with a scar trailing up to his left nostril.

He was everything she'd hoped he'd be.

"_In this world so full of fear, full of rage and lies_

_I can see the truth so clear, in your eyes, so dry in your eyes_

_And I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through_

_Lost forever, if I never knew you."_

Now a man's voice came on.

"_If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real_

_Never knowing I could feel a love so strong and true_

_I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through_

_Lost forever, if I never knew you."_

Now the two, switched solos before ending the verse in a duet. Raven's eyes were still glued to the picture, memorizing every detail. She was practically devouring the picture with her eyes when from the next page, a polaroid snapshot slipped out.

Blinking in surprise, Raven picked up the photo only blush severely when she saw a shirtless Malchior, obviously still flushed from the shower, trying to towel off his wet hair and giving the photographer a bizarre, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on his face. On the side of the picture, Mel had written with loopy letters_: "Sorry, Rae, best I could do!"_ Malchior had also written on the photo, at the bottom with nearly identical loopy letters.

"_Mel, you pervert!"_

_"Mal sends his love to you, Rae."_

_"Stop calling me Mal!"_

_"Mal loves Rae!" _He had apparently crossed out the little note and Mel had drawn an arrow pointing to the back of the photo, Raven flushed deeply as she read the single line there.

_"Malchior loves his dear Raven."_

Next to the line, Mel had drawn a heart. That was all that was there.

It was enough.

Blushing deeply, she tucked the photo underneath her pillow as the song ended. Quicker than usual, the cd player kicked on the next song.

_"In trouble?_

_Need a hand?_

_Desperate situation calling for_

_Desperate measures?"_

_"Then dial H_

_FOR A HEeeeeeeeeeeroooooooooo!"_ blasted Mel's voice. Bewildered, Raven checked at the song dedication and fought not to laugh.

_"For Rae, Rob, Star, Cy, and BB. My personal true heros."_

Giggling a bit, Raven sat back as the song started up in earnest, stealing a peak of the photo Mel had sent her.

---------------

**Brownie points to anyone who gets the Hero Cruz and Vicki Grant mentions. And yay, the end of the first arc! Here's to the next one!**


	10. A Notice on Status

What? You say, It's over?

Yes, my friends, after a long time of nothing and much thinking, I've decided to put up the Complete status and officially end this fic. After so long, my inspiration for this story has completely dried up.

The story, which should have had two arcs, has simply died on me. Instead of having people read this story only to get to the 11th chapter and find nothing, I decided to go back to the end of the first ark and make that the true ending.

The next ark was simply too ambitious for me to finish, something I realized months into the story's stagnation. So, I have officially decided to end this.

Just because this is the end of the fic, don't be surprised if characters from here, like Malchior's siblings survive in other stories.

So without further ado (and many apologies for those how had been waiting for the next chapter),

**THE END**


End file.
